Disability and HIV

1
Disability and HIV AIDSOverview of evidence

• Nora Groce, PhD
• Susan Girois, MD
• Strategic planning session
• The Africa Campaign on Disability and HIV AIDS
• Cape Town, January 23-25, 2007

2
Overview

• Background
• What do we know?
• What do we need to know?
• Conclusions

3
Background

• There is small but growing attention to the AIDS
  and Disability issue
• The attention is so far disjointed because no
  forum exists that allows us to speak as a group
  to the AIDS community
• There is lack of coherence in the messages and
  the approach

4
I have been approached by a disabled person
here or there, but it never occurred to me that
this is a large group of people. --Stephen
Lewis, former UN Special Envoy for AIDS in Africa
5
Background (cont.)

• Since 2003, increasing attention is being paid to
  disability links with AIDS
• Most from the disability group
• Response to the realization that people in this
  community are becoming infected and dying.
• Disability leaders, health providers, therapists,
  sign language interpreters

6
What do we know?

• Persons with disabilities have less knowledge
• MALAWI Effective HIV/AIDS and Reproductive
  Health Information to People with Disabilities
  (Munthali, Mvula, Ali, 2004)
• NIGERIA Differences in HIV/AIDS Knowledge
  between Deaf and Hearing Populations (Groce,
  Yousafzai, Van Der Maas 2006)

7
Less knowledge

• RWANDA and UGANDA Situational analysis of
  HIV/AIDS of young people with disabilities
  (Yousafzai A and Edouards K 2004)
• SWAZILAND Knowledge, personal risk and
  experiences of HIV/AIDS among people with
  disabilities // Survey of HIV/AIDS Knowledge
  among a Deaf population in Swaziland (Groce,
  Yousafzai, Dlamini, Wirz 2003)
• ZIMBABWE Knowledge Attitudes and Practices about
  HIV AIDS among visually impaired adolescents
  and young adults (Shava K)

8
At risk of HIV infection

• TANZANIA (2005) Reproductive Health Needs of
  Visually Impaired Adolescents and pre-teens
  (UAFD) and Family Care International (CCBRT/CBM)
• UGANDA (2006)Baseline survey on promotion of a
  disability perspective into Ugandas National
  HIV/AIDS response (NUDIPU)

9
Vulnerable to sexual violence

• ETHIOPIA Baseline Survey on Sexual Violence
  against Persons with Disability in Kebele 01/02
  of Yeka Sub City (Handicap International 2006)

10
Greater impact on FWD

• TANZANIA The Impact of HIV/AIDS on African
  society on people with disabilities- and
  consequently on rehabilitation (Vanneste G
  CCBRT/CBM)
• ZIMBABWE Participatory rapid assessment of the
  vulnerability, impact and coping mechanisms of
  Parents of Disabled Children on HIV AIDS
  (Nganzi, Matrick, Matonhodzi (ZPHCA))

11
Disability community ill-equipped

• ZIMBABWE Participatory rapid assessment of the
  vulnerability, impact and coping mechanisms of
  the disabled people on HIV AIDS (Nganzi,
  Matrick, Matonhodzi(ZPHCA))

12
Service providers ill-equipped

• SOUTH AFRICA Survey on AIDS and Adults with
  Intellectual Disabilities. Beliefs and practices
  on AIDS among service providers for Adults with
  intellectual disabilities (Tamar Levin)
• Staff values regarding the sexual expression of
  women with developmental disabilities
  (Christian, Stinson, Dotson (2002))
• Sexuality education for students who are deaf
  current practices and concerns (Getch, Young,
  Denny 1998)

13
Higher HIV prevalence (???)

• TANZANIA HIV Counseling and Testing Opportunity
  for 320 Parents of Children with Disabilities as
  part of the activities within CCBRT-CBR Programme
  in Dar es Salaam

14
Manuals, toolkits, guidelines

• Resource Manual for Disability and HIV/AIDS
  Training (DPSA)
• Manual for getting AIDS information to
  adolescents with disability (Rehabilitation
  International)
• Community-based HIV international manual for DPI
  South Africa (DPI)
• Guidelines for including Disability in National
  AIDS Programs (Groce)

15
Upcoming

• Groce/WHO/ILO
• What you need to know about HIV/AIDS a guide for
  people with disabilities
• Disabled peoples Organizations and the AIDS
  Epidemic What DPOs can do to lead the fight
  against HIV/AIDS for persons with disabilities
• HIV/AIDS and the Deaf Community
• HIV/AIDS and People who are Blind or Vision
  Impaired
• HIV/AIDS Information for people with Intellectual
  Disabilities and their friends and families

16
What do we need to know?

• Sub-groups of disabled persons
• Whether our trainings are effective
• Persons with disability who are HIV
• Programmatic issues
• Consistency in language, privacy, competency,
  educating health professionals

17
CONCLUSIONS

• Growing attention
• We have a basic situation analysis
• We now need to focus on effectiveness
• Lagging attention to PWD who are HIV