(Official Togo) – Expertise France and UNAIDS announced on Wednesday February 28 the conclusion of a partnership aimed at combating stigma and discrimination linked to HIV in Togo, Benin, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Central African Republic and in Senegal. The signing of the agreement, worth 1.9 million euros, took place at the permanent representation of France to the United Nations in Geneva.
According to a press release from the two institutions, this partnership has the specific aim of strengthening community initiatives and legislative frameworks to effectively combat HIV.
Funding is provided by Expertise France through L’Initiative, a French facility complementary to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The objective is to promote access to HIV-related health services, respectful of human rights, for vulnerable groups, in particular young women and girls, it is detailed. The project will be led by the UNAIDS regional office for West and Central Africa, with support from local partners.
HIV prevalence in these regions disproportionately affects certain populations, with significant rates among sex workers, sexual minorities, and prisoners, compared to the general population.
The partnership therefore aims, indicated the two parties, to improve legal and social responses to HIV, to reduce gender inequalities and gender-based violence, and to promote a legal framework that respects human rights. It will primarily focus on how to facilitate access to legal services for populations most marginalized and affected by HIV, including sex workers, people who use drugs, women and girls living with HIV, and others.
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