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African organisations win big at AIDS conference

Tuesday July 22 2014
AIDS

A sign reading AIDS 2014 near the venue of the conference in Melbourne, Australia. AFP

Three community efforts tackling the AIDS pandemic in Kenya, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Malawi have won a grant of $10,000 from UNAIDS at the ongoing International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2014) in Melbourne, Australia.

The three were among 10 community-based organisations which won the 2014 Red Ribbon Award for their inspiring work in reducing the impact of the AIDS epidemic. The other 2014 winning organisations were from Guyana, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Lebanon, Nepal, Ukraine and Venezuela.

“In villages and townships across the globe, communities have taken matters into their own hands and come up with innovative solutions to what often appear as insurmountable problems in the AIDS response,” said UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé.

READ: Aids now the number one killer of adolescents in Africa

Kenya won in the category of Stopping new HIV infections among children and keeping mothers alive.

The Girl Child Counselling Women’s Group focuses on bringing together community members to address the high rate of new HIV infections among women of childbearing age in Matunda, Kenya. The group's vision is “A HIV free generation in the Matunda location.”

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READ: Young people bear brunt of pregnancy, HIV

DRC won in the category of prevention of sexual transmission through a project referred to as the Action pour la Lutte contre l’Ignorance du SIDA (ALCIS). It is the only organisation in DRC to organise sex workers (including men) into solidarity committees that represent a collective and cooperative entity.

Malawi won in the category of treatment, care and support. The Life Concern Organisation (LICO) helps to improve the health and development of the marginalised and vulnerable populations in Malawi.

LICO was founded in 2009 and is active in the Rumphi district of northern Malawi.

The conference is hosting around 12,000 of the world's leading HIV scientists, researchers, policymakers and activists. However, the conference was hit with tragedy before it even began when news emerged that some delegates had been killed after a Malaysia Airlines craft was downed in Ukraine.

The conference is held to examine progress in HIV research as well as the efforts to eradicate the virus.

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