CaritasPromoting Action on Better Access to Medicines:

Update on Caritas HAART for Children Campaign

Presentation at:

Third Partners Meeting on Better Medicines for Children21‐22 November 2011 – Geneva, Switzerland

By: Rev. Msgr. Robert J. VitilloHead of Delegation to the UN in Geneva

and Special Advisor on HIV/AIDSCaritas Internationalis

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CaritasIntroduction of

Caritas Internationalis (CI)Caritas Internationalis was established in 1951 and is the  global confederation of 163 Catholic Church‐related, national member organizations providing humanitarian assistance, development, social services, and advocacy in some 200 countries and territories of the world

The General Secretariat of the Confederation is located in Vatican City; CI  also maintains 7 regional secretariats for: Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America/Caribbean, Middle East/North Africa, North America, and Oceania.

Caritas member organizations directly help 24 million people a year.

Caritas members employ more than 500,000 staff and engage 625,000 volunteers. The estimated combined budget of CI member organizations is  US $5.5 billion per annum.

Caritas

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Response of Caritas Internationalis to  the HIV pandemic

In 1987, the Caritas General Assembly identified the AIDS pandemic as a priority area of action; this commitment has persisted until the present time.

It  provides information and capacity‐building, promotes solidarity in support of HIV treatment, prevention, care, and support programs sponsored by Caritas and other Catholic structures in developing countries, and  advocates for a just response to the pandemic.

Caritas‐related organizations are sponsoring or supporting HIV treatment, prevention, care and support  in 116 countries.

Caritas Internationalis serves on the Steering Group for the Global Plan to eliminate new HIV infections among children by 2014 and to Keep their Mothers alive and healthy.

Response to HIV by one Caritas member organization:

Catholic Relief Services• Based on integral

human development• 280+ projects• 62 countries• 8 million direct

beneficiaries• 20 million indirect

beneficiaries• Reaching

approximately 650,000 OVC

HIV Programming: Treatment, Care and Support

• CRS’ “AIDSRelief” Programme began in 2004 ( with PEPFAR funding).

• Providing 200,000+ patients with ART.

• HIV care to 500,000+ patients. • Working through 200+ Local

Partner Treatment Facilities plus 250 satellite sites in nine countries.

UNICEF chose a Catholic Church Programme in Papua New Guinea as a Best Practice Model for  PMTCT

“The Catholic Health Service, and particularly Mingende Rural Hospital in Simbu Province where I work, as well as Catholic Health Service in Mendi, are implementing a very successful programme on Prevention of Parent‐ to‐Child Transmission of HIV (PPTCT), called: ”Born to live”. […]

“Since the beginning of the ‘Born to live’ project in October 2003, and  up to l December 2009, we tested 6867 mothers with an average prevalence rate of 1.1%. 66 HIV‐positive mothers delivered their babies in our facility. 14 babies died during the first years of the programme, while we were administering only single‐dose Nevirapine to the mothers and their babies..

“ Gradually, we started using 2 ART drugs and since 2009, we use triple ART therapy for all HIV‐positive mothers who are past 28 weeks of gestation. We continue the treatment during labour and the breastfeeding period. Since then, all our babies born to HIV‐positive mothers have tested negative. Since last year, we are able to use DNA PCR testing of infants at the age of 6 weeks, and we are all happy with the babies BORN TO LIVE and free of the HIV.”

Sr. Kinga Czerwonka, Catholic Health Service, Simbu, Papua New Guinea

Caritas Internationalis “HAART for Children” Campaign

What has the Campaign accomplished?

Caritas India mobilized community‐based action to achieve the objectives of the HAART Campaign, in particular, by sensitizing and building advocacy capacity among social work students. Caritas India held an awareness session on HAART conducted with nearly 350 MSW students in Chennai; this motivated many students to serve as volunteers by putting their own knowledge and skills at the service of this urgent cause.

Caritas Slovenia and Slovakia raised awareness among school children about the need for greater access to early testing and treatment of pediatric HIV and HIV/TB co‐infection and more effective prevention of mother‐to‐child transmission of HIV. The children, in turn, wrote letters to the Ministry of Health in their respective countries and encouraged greater commitment of their governments to solidarity with low‐income countries where these problems have the greatest impact.

The Christian Brothers and the International Young Catholic Students organizations continue teach about the social justice dimensions of this urgent life‐death issue for children living with HIV and encourage their students/ members to write to policy‐ and 

Caritas Australia –comprehensive engagement in the Campaign

• Awareness raising campaign by Caritas Australia• Post card mailed to 2,000 monthly donors (Hopegivers)• Caritas Publications (100,000 newsletters) + Be More,

Ozspirit, and Website• Postcards handed out at Blueprint exhibition, Jazz

packs, Just leadership days, School show bags • Target Roche Pharmaceutical Company

Postcard produced for HAART campaign 2010

1200 signed onto campaign

Why we chose Roche• A major international player• Has a big presence in Australia• Has developed HIV treatments - not continuing research• Has developed Fuzeon, suitable for children over 6 years

(line 2 therapy) but not developed for administration in resource poor settings.

Roche Pharmaceuticals• When individuals sign on to the campaign an

email is automatically sent to Roche• Caritas Australia met with a Roche representative• Urging continuation of Research & Development

for child friendly medication in resource poor settings

• Aim to raise awareness of HIV issues within the Australian community

Education/Awareness Raising Campaign for WAD 2010 - Advertisement published in Sydney

and Melbourne Newspapers

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Caritas Internationalis and other Campaign partnerspromote HAART for children advocacy

at various United Nations fora

Caritas Internationalis, in collaboration with other Campaign partners, seize every opportunity to link the  the HAART for Children Campaign to the child’s “right to health” through oral and written interventions and organization of side events  at the UN Human Rights Council;

At the UN High Level Meeting on AIDS, held at UN Headquarters in June 2011, Caritas Internationalis joined the Catholic HIV/AIDS Network and Catholic Medical Mission Board in organizing a side event on the HAART for Children Campaign and on the impact of funding flat-lining and cutbacks on treatment, prevention, care and support programmes in developing countries.

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Recommended Future Actions to be takenBy “HAART for Children Campaign” Partners

Call on political leaders to fulfill their obligations to promote attainment of the right to health, especially for women and children.

Pressure pharmaceutical companies to research and develop new tests to detect HIV and TB in infants and new fixed dose combinations (FDCs) suitable for administration to infants and children living in poor settings

Promote the Caritas HAART for Children campaign by advocating with governmental officials, with pharmaceutical companies, and with universities and research institutes, to promote greater access to PMTCT and paediatric HIV and TB testing and treatment worldwide. Visit www.caritas.org/activities/hiv_aids to know more about this campaign! Promote the HAART for Children logo on your website.

Add information on PMTCT and paediatric AIDS and TB on your website.Take action to help children living with HIV by joining the “Children Letter Writing Action”.

Children are encouraged to write letters to governments and pharmaceutical companies asking them to improve diagnostic tools and treatment for children living with HIV.

Set up a local PMTCT and paediatric AIDS campaign in your church, school, college or university and share with us what you are

Work with the media to highlight the problems and solutions related to prevention and treatment of paediatric HIV.

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NOTE: With this photograph, Caritas  does not intend to  imply the HIV status of the children shown