Prevention
Within a comprehensive response to HIV and AIDS, ICASO supports global efforts to mobilize a prevention constituency and provide guidance to countries on evidence informed and effective prevention responses. ICASO believes it is the right of people living with HIV and those most at risk and vulnerable to HIV infection to access comprehensive services and commodities.
In November 2005, ICASO’s Board of Directors endorsed a policy statement that committed ICASO to oppose any laws or policies that undermine best practice in public health and/or that violate human rights. This includes, but not limited to, opposition to the US Government’s anti-prostitution legislation that restricts funding and support for sex workers, and to other ideologically-based prevention policies such as abstinence-only approaches and restrictions on the availability of comprehensive sex education, condoms and harm reduction programmes.
As part of this work, ICASO provides direct support to marginalized groups to participate in global prevention discussions and initiatives. ICASO also documents analysis to support direct community sector advocacy on prevention. An example of this is the Advocacy Briefing “Barriers to Condom Access: setting an advocacy agenda” that documented ‘frontline’ community analysis supported by ICASO.
Sign On Letter: Civil Society Statment on ART for Prevention (Deadline to sign on is Oct. 30, 2009)