Asia Pacific PLWHA Resource Centre -

started in 2003 with the support and guidance of UNDP Regional Programme on HIV and Development, Asia Pacific Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (APN+) and Indian Network for People Living with HIV/AIDS (INP+) in order to coordinate and conduct various advocacy activities at the regional and global levels to create visibility to the issues of PLWHA. The centre is based in New Delhi, India and is managed by a Co-ordinator.

One of the main functions of the centre will be to effectively implement the Asia Pacific Initiative for Empowerment of People Living With HIV/AIDS (APIE PLWHA), a regional PLWHA Initiative aimed at strengthening the voice of PLWHA to advocate for their issues and thereby empowering them fully to involve in the HIV/AIDS responses in the Asia pacific region. This initiative is being implemented in thirteen countries in the region, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Iran, Myanmar, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, R. Korea, Sri Lanka and Vietnam. Other functions of the centre will be:

1. To become a regional hub of information and knowledge on HIV/AIDS issues by providing all relevant materials online.

2. To establish an Asia Pacific PLWHA coalition in order to support the work of APN+, INP+ and PLWHA resource centre to strengthen the voice of HIV positive people in all the countries in the region

3. To organise three annual Congress’ (2003-2005) for Regional Strategic Planning and three annual Working Group Seminars (2003-2005) for advocacy and capacity transfer.

Each of the Congresses will be held in connection with major international HIV conferences in the Region to create visibility and facilitate as broad a participation of PLWHA groups as possible. All the Congresses will have three major outputs:

-Endorsement of an Asia Pacific PLWHA Advocacy Agenda
-Discussion and adoption of a Strategic Action Plan to take forward the agenda
- Issuing of a PLWHA resolution addressing the Conferences that is held in conjunction with the Congress

The Working Group Seminar will only include the implementing Partners of the APIE PLWHA. Through the seminar the PLWHA groups will develop advocacy and care and support strategies and action plans to be implemented at their respective countries. The first two Working Group Seminars will be held back to back with a UNDP Leadership for Results Programme specially adopted for PLWHA to strengthen their capacity for generating hope, transforming responses and producing results in the area of HIV/AIDS.

4. To implement the regional strategic action plan for advocacy coming out from the Congress.

5. To produce manuals/guidelines/training modules regionally and provide online support to the PLWHA groups for the implementation of training and activities at the local/national levels.

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