APPG on HIV, AIDS & Sexual Health One Voice Network UK City Bridge Foundation Opening the #UnheardVoices report, Winnie Byanyima, UNAIDS Chief Exec, highlights the role of communities in the fight against #HIV all over the world.

'Community leadership is not an idealistic dream, it is the proven route to impact.'

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The key 🔑 to successfully responding to #HIV is letting communities lead!

Happy #FreedomDay , South Africa! Let's embrace true freedom by standing against HIV stigma and discrimination. Let's unite in support, understanding, and compassion for those living with HIV, ensuring access to care for all.

#FreedomDay 2024 reminds us of how far the Rainbow Nation 🇿🇦 has traveled in 30 years of nation building and how much still needs to be done to consolidate-protect-grow the gains so as to ensure no one is left behind.

Happy #FreedomDay from the United Nations in South Africa…

South Africa's integration of #HIV services into the broader health system has strengthened the HIV program, aiding in the identification of previously undiagnosed cases and demonstrating the effectiveness of an integrated approach to healthcare delivery.
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Through PEPFAR support, South Africa is training and upskilling community health workers, enabling them to assume multiple roles and expand services beyond HIV to include screening for tuberculosis, diabetes, and other noncommunicable diseases.
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At SANAC, the UNAIDS Rwanda team with reps from civil society engaged on how #communityledmonitoring extends beyond facilities especially for key populations who do not access healthcare facilities due to stigma&criminalisation.

Today we’re meeting SANAC with UNAIDS Rwanda and CSO’s to learn about gov buy-in&explore practical opportunities to institutionalise #communityledmonitoring in national decision-making processes for #HIV response.

“We are impressed by the collaboration in 🇿🇦! Through South-South cooperation we have gained practical experience on how you serve communities- we want to develop a national framework for Rwanda 🇷🇼 building on what we have seen in SA” - Andrew Ntwali, UNAIDS Rwanda

People-centered monitoring initiatives like Ritshidze have empowered communities, covering over half of all people living with HIV in South Africa, driving significant improvements in health service access and quality.
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Colleagues from UNAIDS Rwanda, today visited 3 facilities monitored by Ritshidze to gain a practical understanding of #communityledmonitoring . We shadowed community members&monitors, observed how the community accesses healthcare and the challenges they face.

With support from PEPFAR, South Africa has created innovative models like smart lockers for medication collection, enhancing accessibility and convenience for over 330,000 individuals since 2020.

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For #communityledmonitoring to be impactful, Ritshidze follows 👇 steps:
1️⃣ Gathering data and evidence from community members who access facilities&services
2️⃣ Upload & analyse data
3️⃣ Generate solutions
4️⃣ Engage the ppl in charge to influence change.

Ndivhuwo Rambau, the Ritshidze explains the lessons learnt during the project conception and pilot phases in 2019. These learnings have helped make Ritshidze one of the world's largest and most effective community-led monitoring projects. 

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⁉️DYK⁉️Ritshidze is a Venda name meaning “Saving Lives”.

WATCH: General Secretary of Ritshidze, Anele Yawa shares stats of people living with #HIV in South Africa and the advocacy needed for an HIV-free generation. #communityledmonitoring

The generation of qualitative and quantitative data allows for strong advocacy, backed up by strong evidence. UNAIDS South Africa

TAC & Ritshidze is hosting a delegation of Rwandan civil society organisations & UNAIDS officials to showcase the power of #communityledmonitoring . Ritshidze monitors over 400 facilities that cater for over 50% of people living with HIV (PLHIV) on treatment in South Africa.

🙌UNAIDS South Africa & UNAIDS Eastern & Southern Africa are delighted to welcome UNAIDS Rwanda & reps from the People Living with #HIV sector over the next 3-days with Ritshidze to exchange learning&understandings of how Community-led monitoring saves lives in 🇿🇦

South Africa's nationwide mobilization for access to ARV in the 2000s not only saved millions of lives but also reinforced constitutional guarantees of the right to health, inspiring activism across health issues, including gender-based violence.

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Remember: EVERYONE has a right to health.

No exceptions.

The full protection of human rights and equal access to HIV services needs to be realized for all people.

That is how we end AIDS.

Respect for all people is what powers progress.