Menneskerettigheter og helse for alle!
Kampen mot diskriminering på grunnlag av seksuell orientering eller kjønnsidentitet er en viktig kamp også i det internasjonale utviklingsarbeidet.
I anledning Oslo Pride hadde Norad invitert blant annet utviklingsministeren, Dag Inge Ulstein, og Linden Morrison i Det globale fondet mot aids, tb og malaria , for å snakke om hvordan kjempe for LHBTI[Lesbiske, homofile, bifile, transpersoner og interkjønnpersoner]-rettigheter i bistanden.
Det globale fondets arbeid mot hiv gir mange muligheter for å styrke rettighetene til LHBTI-personer. De jobber aktivt for å sikre at deres stemme blir hørt, og at de har lik tilgang til helsetjenester, særlig i land som kriminaliserer homoseksualitet. De universelle menneskerettighetene, og alles rett til helse, er grunnlaget for Det globale fondets arbeid.
Norge og de nordiske landene har vært avgjørende stemmer globalt for å styrke seksuelle- og reproduktive rettigheter og har bidratt til Det globale fondets arbeid. I disse dager er det viktigere enn noensinne at dette arbeidet fortsetter.
Nordiske sivilsamfunnsorganisasjoner har derfor kommet sammen for å be de nordiske landene om å øke støtten til Det globale fondet ved påfyllingskonferansen i oktober:
Statement on the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria by Nordic civil society to Nordic decision makers
Dear Minister of Development Dag Inge Ulstein,
With Norway's support, the world has made remarkable progress in the fight against HIV, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria. Over the last two decades, we have seen incredible developments in prevention, diagnostics and treatment of the three diseases.
Since it was founded in 2002, Global Fund-supported programs have saved more than 27 million lives. In countries where the Global Fund operates, AIDS mortality has fallen by half from a peak in 2005, and TB and malaria deaths have declined by 25% and 45%, respectively, since 2000.
But after years of remarkable progress in the fight against HIV, TB and Malaria, new threats have pushed us off track. Right now, we are not on trajectory to reach the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of ending the epidemics by 2030. Wavering political commitment, shortfalls in funding, entrenched (and in some cases, worsening) gender inequalities and human rights-related barriers to access to health services, and increasing insecticide and drug resistance, have slowed progress and enabled the diseases to gain ground. The human toll is unacceptable; Every hour, more than 100 people die of AIDS-related causes. A death that could have been prevented by access to treatment. A child still dies every two minutes from malaria. And TB is now the world’s leading killer among infectious diseases.
Today, we have the tools to end the worst epidemics of our time. We can end AIDS, TB and malaria by 2030 - a goal Heads of State agreed to when they endorsed the SDGs, but only if we fully fund the fight against these diseases
On October 10th, France will host the Global Fund Sixth Replenishment. The fundraising target is a minimum of US$14 billion for the next three-year cycle, equivalent to a 15% increase from all donors. If achieved, the Global Fund partnership can save 16 million lives, cut the mortality rate caused from HIV, TB and malaria in half and help build stronger health systems by 2023. If not, the decreased ambitions will have detrimental consequences for people who are affected by the diseases and those at risk of infection.
Your commitment matters. Over the years, the Nordic countries have been crucial actors in global health and the fight against the epidemics, with a strong voice on issues such as sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), health systems strengthening, human rights and non-discrimination, transparency and efficiency. By using your continued voice on these important issues, you will steer and guide the Global Fund to successfully reach its goals. We now have a chance to end the epidemics, but to do so, we need to step up the fight. With just 11 years left, we have no time to waste.
Therefore, we call on you and other Nordic leaders to reaffirm the strong commitment to ending these epidemics by 2030 through an increased pledge for the Global Fund at the sixth replenishment.
The authors of this letter are part of the civil society in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland and we are in different ways engaged in the fight against HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria.
LHLs internasjonale tuberkulosestiftelse (LHL Internasjonal)
Leger Uten Grenser
HivNorge
Sex og Politikk
Helseutvalget
AIDS-Fondet, Denmark
Médecins Sans Frontières, Denmark
Médecins Sans Frontières, Sweden
Médecins du Monde Sweden
Swedish Association for Sexuality Education, RFSU
Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Rights, RFSL
World Infection Fund, Sweden
HIV-Sweden
Hivpoint, Finland
HIV-Finland
HIV-Iceland