Contact Information
Regional Focal Point
Ramy Nasr, Egypt - (Profile)
National Focal Point
Nagham Howash, Sudan - (Profile)Ahmed Tammaam, Egypt - (Profile)
Middle East and North Africa regional email list
GYCA-MENA-subscribe@groups.takingitglobal.org
Background
The advance of AIDS in the Middle East and North Africa has continued with latest estimates showing that 67 000 people became infected with HIV in 2005. Approximately 510 000 people are living with HIV in this region. An estimated 58 000 adults and children in 2005 died of AIDS-related conditions.
Although HIV surveillance remains weak in this region, more comprehensive information is available in some countries (including Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Somalia, and Sudan). Available evidence reveals trends of increasing HIV infections (especially in younger age groups) in such countries as Algeria, Libya, Morocco and Somalia.
The main mode of HIV transmission in this region is unprotected sexual contact, although injecting drug use is becoming an increasingly important factor (and is the predominant mode of infection in at least two countries, Iran and Libya).
Infections as a result of contaminated blood products, blood transfusions or a lack of infection control measures in health care settings are generally on the decline, but remain problems in some countries. The percentage of total reported AIDS cases attributed to contaminated blood decreased from 12% in 1993 to 0.4% in 2003.
Except for Sudan, national HIV prevalence levels are low in all countries of this region. However, most of the epidemics are concentrated geographically and among particular at-risk populations, including sex workers and their clients, drug injectors, and men who have sex with men.
Across the region, there is a clear need for more, better and in-depth information about the patterns of HIV transmission, especially the roles of sex work and of sex between men.
On both fronts, scant information has been gathered; this suggests that there is a likelihood that HIV is transmitted through other risky behaviours or in other contexts.
For example, in several countries of this region, a combination of inadequate surveillance data and strong sociocultural taboos against sex between men could be hiding sex between men as a factor in HIV transmission.
Little is known about HIV transmission in prisons, although available data point to elevated risk in those settings. HIV prevalence of 18% has been reported in prisons in Tripoli, Libya, 2% in Sudan in 2002 and almost 1% in Morocco in 2003.
Regional News
GYCA-Egypt holds three-day training!
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Participants at the close of the training
Recently, the GYCA Egypt team held a three-day training on HIV in Cairo for 25 young people from different background. The training covered various topics, such as HIV transmission, the current situation of the epidemic in Egypt and in the world, HIV testing and treatment. Other trainings included the rights of and stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV, and the final session covered ways to advocate on HIV-related issues at school and at home. To conclude the training, all participants underwent voluntary testing and counseling, reflected on what they head learned over the past three days, and celebrated at Al-Azhar park.
Sessions were led by Ahmed Tammam, Egypt NFP, as well as other members of the team, such as Norhan Salam, Bilal Amer, Asmaa Elsoudy,- Zienab El-desouky, and- Ahmed Hussien. In addition to GYCA, the workshop was supported by TakingITGlobal and the National AIDS Program in Egypt, and was hosted by the World Health Organization.
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| The GYCA-Egypt team, who planned the event |
Sudan: Youth participate in planning HIV/AIDS workshops
On June 27th and 28th, the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Sport, in collaboration with the Sudanese national AIDS programme, UNICEF & UNFPA, conducted a planning workshop on HIV/AIDS. The workshop, which lasted two days, was aimed to establish the new Sudanese Coalition of Youth and HIV/AIDS, and to develop a larger HIV/AIDS workshop next month. One very important point that came out of this workshop was that youth NGOs in Sudan have not been invited to be involved in the planning of this workshop, and that they are anxious to be part of any next steps.
As well, Nagham Howash, Sudan NFP, has been meeting with representatives from the Sudanese National AIDS programme, as well as with members of the Ministry for Youth, Culture, and Sports, in order to build relationships and collaborate on future projects.
Recently, GYCA members along with other youth initiatives in Egypt held a training for over 400 youth from
various regions of the country. The GYCA training team was formed of
six members (three males and three females) from three different
governorates in Egypt. They started off with an ice-breaking game, and
then divided into four groups to discuss basic information about
HIV/AIDS, how to protect oneself and how to get tested. As well, the
team addressed fears and questions addressing stigma toward the disease
and people living with HIV/AIDS.
GYCA members answer questions at their booth after the training
Using the Political Advocacy manual from GYCA’s e-courses materials,
the team presented a session about the role of youth in the community
and different approaches they can use to address their community needs.
During this session advocacy was stressed as an effective tool,
discussed different types of advocacy and the possible targets. Then,
an open discussion was facilitated where we allowed them to discuss
problems that young people face, especially those related to HIV/AIDS,
what would be the best way to address those problems and what we –
young people – expect from decision makers. The output of this
discussion was then summarized and written on flip charts. A group of
young people volunteered to follow up on this discussion after the
session.
Finally this group – with the supervision of the GYCA team – came up
with their recommendations and one of them was chosen to present those
recommendations at the closing ceremony of the event. The team helped
them prepare a simple power point presentation and one of them
presented it at the ceremony in front of the religious leaders,
decision makers attending and all his young peers.
Two factors made this Youth Camp such a remarkable event. First, it was
a youth-to-youth event; five youth-led networks in Egypt led and
coordinated the event, while the National AIDS Program along with most
of the UN Agencies played a supportive and supervisory role. Secondly,
it was fascinating how about 400 young people from 11 governorates all
over Egypt presented a variety of cultural diversities and traditions
and therefore different attitudes towards HIV/AIDS issues, but they
were all eager to learn more and work together. This potential that
young people have should be always used.
