GIPA – Greater involvement of People Living with HIV and AIDS

MIPA – Meaningful Involvement of People Living with HIV.

In December 1994, at the Paris Summit, 42 nations, including the Philippines, declared their support for greater involvement of people living with HIV (PLHIVs) in prevention and care, policy formulation, and service delivery. Signatory governments to the Paris Declaration undertook to “support a greater involvement of people living with HIV/AIDS through an initiative to strengthen the capacity and coordination of networks of people living with HIV/AIDS and community-based organizations. By ensuring their full involvement in our common response to the pandemic at all national, regional and global-levels, this initiative will, in particular, stimulate the creation of supportive, political, legal and social environments (Paris Declaration, 1994).” Since the Paris Summit, GIPA has been endorsed in numerous international statements, most recently by the UNGASS Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS, which acknowledges “the particular role and significant contribution of people living with HIV/AIDS, young people and civil society actors in addressing the problem of HIV/AIDS in all its aspects and recognizing that their full involvement and participation in design, planning, implementation and evaluation of programs is crucial to the development of effective responses to the HIV/AIDS epidemic (United Nations, 2001, paragraph 33).”

People with HIV/AIDS always ask what we can do to make a difference, to make life easier for myself and others with HIV/AIDS. We also often hear that GIPA is regarded as a best practice, but it does not answer the question WHY involvement is good, nor does it address the issues that make involvement so difficult.

"In this note, I would like to address that question by looking at the reasons for involvement, the factors hindering involvement, and the actions we persons with HIV/AIDS can take to become active players in the national response to HIV/AIDS".

a)    Reasons for involvement.
b)    Factors impending involvement.
c)    How to involve PLHIVs.
d)   The scope of our  involvement.

LEVELS OF INVOLVEMENT:

Decision Makers: PLHIV participates in decision making, or policy making bodies; and their inputs are valued equally with all the other members of these bodies.

Experts:

PLHIVs are recognized as important sources of information, knowledge and skills who participate on the same level as professionals; in design, adaptation, and evaluation of interventions.

Implementers:

PLHIV carry out real but instrumental roles in interventions (e.g as carers, peers educator or outreach workers).

Contributors:

Activities involves the PLHIVs only marginally, generally when the PLHIV is already well- known.

Speakers:

PLHIV are used as spokesperson in campaigns to change behaviors, or are brought into conferences or meetings to " share their views" but otherwise do not participate.

Target Audience:

Activities are aimed at or conducted for PLHIV, or address them en masse, rather as individuals. They can provide important feedback which in turn can influence or inform the sources of the information. 

(last updated Jul. 23, '10)