AIDS RESPONSIBILITY PROJECT
MISSION
The mission of the AIDS Responsibility Project (ARP) is to educate key policy makers and the
general public to the unique needs of traditionally under-served HIV/AIDS-affected populations,
and to develop strategies and solutions to overcome barriers to effective prevention and
treatment.
ARP has built a global presence for its mission, and has joined forces with many of the leaders
in the fight against HIV/AIDS. From U.S. government agencies, to international NGO's, to
leading multi-national corporations, ARP is playing an important role in an effort that needs
every sector of society to play its part.
ARP'S NEW INITIATIVE IN MEXICO
Mexico HIV/AIDS Atlas - "putting HIV/AIDS on the map in Mexico"
The Atlas presents local, state and national level prevalence rates based on the reported
number of people living with HIV (non-AIDS) and AIDS, depicting the intensity of the disease.
The Atlas will include information and links to education, prevention and treatment services such
as HIV testing sites, treatment facilities and HIV/AIDS service organizations. Future additions will
include data on co-morbidities such as Hepatitis C infection as that data becomes available.
The Atlas will allow stakeholders in HIV prevention and treatment to visualize and use
surveillance data to prioritize prevention efforts and deploy treatment and care services.It
provides a powerful new tool to the public, health care professionals, policy makers and elected
officials to access and map local, state and national data in order to see how HIV/AIDS is
impacting their community.
ARP STIGMA REDUCTION PROGRAM: Public-Private Partnerships in
Action
After hosting a Congressional Delegation (CODEL) tour of the region in January 2004, ARP
launched the Stigma Reduction Program in the Latin America/Caribbean region. With funding
by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and leading corporations in the
region, the program model was successfully launched in Mexico in 2004 and in Jamaica in 2005
with funding support from USAID.
Initial research for the program found that HIV/AIDS-related stigma is widespread, pervasive,
and a significant barrier to elective testing and treatment. Studies by Latin American
governments and by UNAIDS and the International Labor Organization have found that large
percentages of people in the region are HIV-positive and do not know it. Stigma left unchecked
will only worsen this problem in this vulnerable region.
ARP in Mexico
The ARP Stigma Reduction Program in Mexico has demonstrated the potential of bringing local
business leaders together in partnership to fight HIV/AIDS-related stigma and discrimination as
part of the national HIV/AIDS strategy. The creation of a sustainable National Business Council
on HIV/AIDS (CONAES) has made corporate Mexico a strong partner with government and
NGOs, impacting hundreds of thousands of Mexican workers with new job protections and
greater access to testing and treatment options.
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ARP in Jamaica
The ARP model has been successfully applied in Jamaica, resulting in the creation of the
Jamaica Business Council on HIV/AIDS in July 2006. The Jamaica Business Council on
HIV/AIDS is committed to the eradication of HIV/AIDS-related stigma and discrimination in the
Jamaican workplace, in concert with the national AIDS strategy in that country.
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ARP in Brazil
As part of ARP's Stigma Reduction Program in the Latin America region, ARP published
"HIV/AIDS in the Workplace: Stigma Reduction Strategies for Employers" in both Portuguese
and English. ARP partnered with the American Chamber of Commerce in Sao Paulo to distribute
the document to Brazilian employers.
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ARP in Africa
In 2003 ARP was pleased to host a congressional staff delegation (CODEL) to Africa to review
HIV/AIDS programs in South Africa, Botswana and Uganda to build support in the US congress
for greater US support for these programs. Key staffers from authorizing and appropriations
committees from both House and Senate were part of the delegation.
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ARP's Documentary Film "Stepping Up - America Responds to
Global AIDS"
As part of ARP's 2003 congressional staff delegation (CODEL) to Africa, a film crew was taken
along and in 2004, released a documentary film called "Stepping Up - America Responds to
Global AIDS". The documentary film "Stepping Up" was premiered in Bangkok during the 2004
World AIDS Conference. ARP hosted a domestic launch for the film on Tuesday, July 6th in
Washington, DC and a full-length screening of Stepping Up on Wednesday, July 7th on Capitol
Hill for Congressional staff.
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ARP's Music CD "What Are We Living For"
Just as ARP has targeted stigma reduction in the workplace, we must also develop new and
more effective ways to communicate prevention messages to those most at risk for infection.
That is why in 2005 ARP was so pleased to release the album "What Are We Living For", which
is designed to 'Start the Conversation" about HIV/AIDS for at risk groups.
READ MORE
| ARP in Mexico (from left) ARP Executive Director Abner Mason, USAID Asst. Administrator for Latin America and the Caribbean Adolfo Franco, and US Ambassador to Mexico Tony Garza at launch of CONAES. |
| ARP in Jamaica (from left) James Moss-Solomon, chief corporate affairs officer of GraceKennedy; Abner Mason, executive director for the AIDS Responsibility Project; John Junor, Jamaica Minister of Health, and Dr. Cesar Simich, managing director of Merck Sharp and Dohme, in discussion after the launch of the Jamaica HIV/AIDS business council. |
| ARP in Africa US Ambassador to Uganda Jimmy Kolker and ARP Executive Director Abner Mason in Uganda with the staff of the Tororo Hospital and health-care workers who deliver AIDS drugs by motocycle. |
| ARP in Brazil (from left) CRP Partner Rich Tafel, ARP's Abner Mason, Merck representative David Greeley, and USAID staffer Kevin McGlothin visiting the Volkswagen plant in Sao Paulo Brazil to review their innovative AIDS program. |
| ARP in Bangkok, Thailand (from left) US Global AIDS Ambassador Randall Tobias, US Ambassador to Thailand Darryl Johnson, and ARP's Abner Mason in Bangkok for the International premier of ARP's documentary film. |
AIDS
RESPONSIBILITY
PROJECT
"a compassionate effort in a responsible manner"
| DOCUMENTARY FILM EXCERPTS America Responds to Global AIDS |
| VIDEO RELEASE Start the Conversation electronic Press Kit www.tysonfitzgerald.com |
| MUSIC CD SAMPLER Start the Conversation |
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The Mexico HIV/AIDS Atlas (the
Atlas) will be a multi-functional new
Web-based tool to support
prevention and treatment efforts in
Mexico. By utilizing traditional public
health surveillance data in new
ways, the Mexico Atlas represents
an exciting step forward. The Atlas
provides a new way to look at this
data by adding interactive
functionality and by illustrating the
data in ways that point to the areas
of greatest need in the Mexico HIV
epidemic.
Atlas) will be a multi-functional new
Web-based tool to support
prevention and treatment efforts in
Mexico. By utilizing traditional public
health surveillance data in new
ways, the Mexico Atlas represents
an exciting step forward. The Atlas
provides a new way to look at this
data by adding interactive
functionality and by illustrating the
data in ways that point to the areas
of greatest need in the Mexico HIV
epidemic.