Speech at the World AIDS Day and Training of Trainers for Fiji Family Planning

SPEECH AT THE WORLD AIDS DAY AND TRAINING OF TRAINERS FOR FIJI FAMILY PLANNING BY THE SPEAKER OF PARLIAMENT AND UNAIDS GOODWILL AMBASSADOR FOR THE PACIFIC REGION AND FIJI AMBASSADOR FOR HIV/AIDS, HON. RATU EPELI NAILATIKAU

• HONOURABLE MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND MEDICAL SERVICES, DR. IFEREIMI WAQAINABETE;
• HIS EXCELLENCY, MR JOHN FEAKES, AUSTRALIAN HIGH COMMISSIONER TO FIJI
• UNFPA DIRECTOR &REPRESENTATIVE DR JENNIFER BUTLER
• COUNTRY DIRECTOR FOR UNAIDS PACIFIC, MS. RENATA RAM;
• THE STAFF OF THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND MEDICAL SERVICES;
• MEMBERS OF THE POSITIVE COMMUNITY LIVING WITH HIV;
• DISTINGUISHED GUESTS

GOOD MORNING. NI SA BULA VINAKA. SALAM ALYKUM. NAMASTE.

I AM INDEED PROUD TO BE HERE THIS MORNING FOR THE LAUNCH OF THE FAMILY PLANNING TRAINING OF TRAINERS WHICH AS YOU ARE ALL AWARE IS TAKING PLACE ON A VERY SIGNIFICANT DAY- WORLD AIDS DAY. THIS YEAR HAS BEEN LIKE NO OTHER AND DESPITE IT ALL WE CAN PROUDLY STAND TOGETHER TO COMMEMORATE THE CONTINUATION OF OUR HIV RESPONSE.

TODAY IS A DAY FOR TAKING STOCK OF THE CHALLENGES THAT HUMANITY HAS FACED THIS YEAR. COVID-19 IS THREATENING THE PROGRESS THAT THE WORLD HAS MADE IN HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS, INCLUDING THE GAINS WE HAVE MADE AGAINST HIV.

LIKE ALL EPIDEMICS, IT IS WIDENING THE INEQUALITIES THAT ALREADY EXISTED.

HOWEVER, THE GLOBAL HIV RESPONSE WAS OFF TRACK EVEN BEFORE THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, BUT THE COLLISION OF COVID-19 AND HIV HAS SET IT BACK FURTHER.

COVID-19 IS A WAKE-UP CALL FOR THE WORLD TO STRENGTHEN HEALTH SYSTEMS. HAD HEALTH SYSTEMS AND SOCIAL SAFETY NETS BEEN STRONGER THE WORLD WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER POSITIONED TO SLOW THE VIRUS AND WITHSTAND ITS IMPACTS.

NEVERTHELESS, WE MUST SEIZE THE OPPORTUNITY THAT COVID HAS PROVIDED – FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MANY YEARS HEALTH HAS BECOME THE FRONT AND THE CENTRE OF THE WORLD- TO SHOW HOW DESTRUCTIVE A PANDEMIC CAN BE. GLOBAL INTEREST IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES IS HIGHER THAN EVER BEFORE. WE MUST BUILD ON THIS IN GLOBAL SOLIDARITY AND SHARED RESPONSIBILITY.

WORLD AIDS DAY IS ALSO A DAY TO REMEMBER THE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE LOST THEIR LIVES TO AIDS-RELATED ILLNESSES, MANY OF WHOM DIED BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT ACCESS HIV SERVICES, BECAUSE OF STIGMA, BECAUSE OF DISCRIMINATION AND BECAUSE OF CRIMINALIZATION OF KEY POPULATIONS.

ON THIS WORLD AIDS DAY THE THEME –GLOBAL SOLIDARITY AND SHARED RESPONSIBILITY REQUIRES US TO VIEW GLOBAL HEALTH RESPONSES, INCLUDING THE AIDS RESPONSE, IN A NEW WAY. IT REQUIRES THE WORLD TO COME TOGETHER. THIS PANDEMIC HAS SHOWN US IN A MOST PAINFUL WAY THAT ALL COUNTRIES ARE CONNECTED AND THAT WE MUST BE EVER VIGILANT.

IN COMING TOGETHER IN SOLIDARITY, WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT RESPONSIBILITIES ARE SHARED IN AREAS SUCH AS:

• HEALTH FINANCING. GOVERNMENTS MUST COME TOGETHER AND FIND NEW WAYS TO ENSURE THAT HEALTH CARE IS FULLY FUNDED. NO ONE COUNTRY CAN DO IT ALONE. DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL FUNDING FOR HEALTH MUST BE INCREASED. WHILE FIJI CONTRIBUTES 80% OF DOMESTIC FUNDING TOWARDS HIV PROGRAMMING- WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT THIS IS SUFFICIENT TO IMPLEMENT EFFECTIVE SERVICES.
• THAT HEALTH SYSTEMS ARE STRENGTHENED. INVESTMENTS IN THE AIDS RESPONSE IN THE PAST FEW DECADES HAVE HELPED TO STRENGTHEN HEALTH SYSTEMS AND HAVE BEEN SUPPORTING THE COVID-19 RESPONSE. BUT MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE TO FURTHER STRENGTHEN OUR HEALTH SYSTEMS AND PROTECT OUR HEALTH-CARE WORKERS.
• ACCESS IS ENSURED. LIFE-SAVING MEDICINES, VACCINES AND DIAGNOSTICS MUST BE CONSIDERED AS PUBLIC GOODS. THERE MUST BE GLOBAL SOLIDARITY AND SHARED RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE THAT NO INDIVIDUAL, COMMUNITY OR COUNTRY IS LEFT BEHIND IN ACCESSING LIFE-SAVING HEALTH COMMODITIES. THOUGH arvs ARE FREE TO ALL FIJIANS UNDER THE 2011 HIV LAW FOR LIFE, WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT ACCESSIBILITY & AVAILABILITY TO ALL THOSE WHO NEED IT IS A MUST, AND AN ONGOING REALITY.
• HUMAN RIGHTS ARE RESPECTED. A HUMAN RIGHTS APPROACH APPLIED EVERYWHERE WILL PRODUCE SUSTAINABLE RESULTS FOR HEALTH. THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS EXPOSED THE FAULT LINES IN SOCIETY AND HOW KEY POPULATIONS HAVE BEEN LEFT BEHIND IN MANY PARTS OF THE WORLD.

STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT STIGMA AND DISCRIMINATION IS STILL HIGH IN FIJI. STIGMA AND DISCRIMINATION AGAINST PLHIV, SEX WORKERS AND LGBTI COMMUNITIES IS STILL A PRESSING ISSUE IN FIJI, ESPECIALLY FROM HEALTHCARE WORKERS. 60% OF FEMALE SEX WORKERS SURVEYED IN FIJI REPORTED AVOIDING HIV TESTING DUE TO FEAR OF STIGMA FROM HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS, AS DID MORE THAN 30% OF HOMOSEXUAL AND OTHER MEN WHO HAVE SEX WITH MEN. HIV TESTING AMONG THESE KEY POPULATIONS IS LOW- 25% FEMALE SEX WORKERS AND 42% MSM.

• THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN AND GIRLS, AND GENDER EQUALITY, ARE AT THE CENTRE. THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECTED WOMEN’S LIVELIHOODS, WHICH HAVE BEEN DISPROPORTIONALLY AFFECTED BY LOCKDOWN MEASURES, AND LOCKDOWNS HAVE RESULTED IN AN INCREASE OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN HOUSEHOLD SETTINGS. IN FIJI, THE NATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HELPLINE RECORDED A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN CALLS IN THE MONTH OF APRIL (AROUND 527), COMPARED TO 87 IN FEBRUARY AND 187 IN MARCH.

REPORTS SHOW THAT CLOSE TO 50 PER CENT OF WOMEN ARE REPORTING A CORRELATION BETWEEN COVID-19 AND INCREASED VIOLENCE, LINKED DIRECTLY TO THE RESTRICTIONS OF MOVEMENT AND ECONOMIC STRAIN ON FAMILIES. THESE VULNERABILITIES ARE PUSHING OUR HIV RESPONSE FURTHER OFF TRACK.

WE MUST REMEMBER THAT FOCUSING ON THESE AREAS IS EXPANDING ON THE LARGER HEALTH RESPONSE AND HAS BENEFITS IN HEALTH EQUITY, UPHOLDING THE RIGHT TO HEALTH, REDUCING SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES, REDUCING UNWANTED PREGNANCIES AND EMPOWERING INDIVIDUALS.

THE FAMILY PLANNING TRAINING OF TRAINERS, TO BE LAUNCHED TODAY IS ONE ASPECT OF HEALTH SYSTEMS STRENGTHENING. THIS TRAINING IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH WHICH ALLOWS WOMEN AND GIRLS TO ACCESS SERVICES FREELY AND SAFELY. THIS TOT WILL IMPROVE THE SERVICE DELIVERY OF FAMILY PLANNING IN THE COUNTRY AND MAKE IT ACCESSIBLE TO ALL FIJIANS. THIS WILL ENSURE THAT THERE IS PROVISION OF CONDOMS TO ALL FIJIANS WHICH WILL DECREASE THE BURDEN OF HIV, STIS AND UNINTENDED PREGNANCIES IN WOMEN AND GIRLS.

THE NEW PANDEMIC HAS SHOWN THAT INVESTING IN HEALTH SAVES LIVES AND ECONOMIES. THIS REQUIRES INVESTMENTS ON TACKLING THE INEQUALITIES THAT ARE DRIVING THE HIV AND COVID-19 PANDEMICS.

LET US ALL COME TOGETHER IN SOLIDARITY AND SHARE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO REDUCING THE IMPACTS OF HIV IN A COVID-19 WORLD. IT IS THE DUTY OF ALL OF US TO DO SO! AND A NOBLE DUTY IT IS.

HAPPY WORLD AIDS DAY

THANK YOU. VINAKA VAKALEVU. SUKRIA. BAHOOT DYNAVAAD.