The Association of People Living with HIV (APLHIV) Pakistan is a nationwide network of HIV community in Pakistan established in response to absence of an appropriate platform for the HIV community to raise their issues. Since its inception the APLHIV has emerged as a strong agency for Research, Advocacy, and Community based Monitoring and as a vibrant platform for community and a wide range of organization with differing missions to join hands to combat the HIV epidemic.
The APLHIV crosses another milestone by establishing Positive Female Network
Other UN agencies including UNFPA, UNODC and UNICEF highly appreciated the initiative of the APLHIV and assured of their full support to make the platform a sustainable, meaningful and successful platform for the positive females.
The POFEN aims to Mobilize Female leadership to influence policies, laws, programmes, and funds and to promote actions that empower Females living with and affected by HIV. The POFEN envisions a platform where Females living with and affected by HIV exercise their rights for healthy, dignified and respectful lives, and are leaders in addressing their issues tailored to their needs and rights, free of stigma, discrimination and violence.
The APLHIV will build capacity and foster the engagement of Female living with and affected by HIV to influence policy and decision-making processes, whilst promoting and upholding their rights and providing them a platform to speak in unison. The positive females from across the country present on the occasion also elected a steering committee to promote the POFEN and represent the network. The steering committee consists of 5 Positive Females, one each from four provinces and one from ICT, Gilgit Baltistan and AJK. The steering committee was elected by show of hands.
Addressing the gathering, Chief Guest Syeda Zahra Fatemi MNA, PML-N termed the gathering as an impressive event and congratulated Asghar Satti, Ms.Fahmida, UNAIDS NACP for achieving this mile stone. She emphasized that the taboo attached with HIV must be shed away and it should be the dieses to be hated and not the patient. She added that the government is aware of the issues of the Females and shall leave no stone unturned to address these issues. She assured the APLHIV for all possible support. She assured that she will take up issues related to the rights of Positive female in the parliament. She also assured the APLHIV to include the voices of HIV community in policy making and legislation.
Ms. Fahmida Khan from UNAIDS assured of full support to the APLHIV for making the Female Network a success. She termed it as a historic occasion and highly appreciated the initiative of the APLHIV. She asked the gathering to feel the responsibilities and stand for their rights and dignified lives. She appreciated the turnover of the females and termed it as a milestone. On this occasion Ms. Sadia from UNFPA congratulated the APLHIV for achieving the milestone and emphasized to capacitate the network. She offered full support to the APLHIV in this regard.
Ms. Nabila from UNODC congratulated the team at the APLHIV and hoped that the POFEN will achieve its objectives. The gathering was also addressed by Dr. Baseer Khan Achakzai, National Program Manager [NPM], National AIDS Control program [NACP]. The NPM congratulated Mr. Asghar Satti and his team for this achievement. He highly appreciated the efforts of the team at the APLHIV to serve the community. He assured of full support to the APLHIV from government side. He assured that government supports the idea to promote the empowerment of females.
Earlier in his welcome address the National Coordinator Mr. Asghar Satti, thanked the MNA for sparing the time out of busy scheduled and to join the gathering. While highlighting the issues Mr. Satti requested the MNA for her facilitation to ensure a contact between the APLHIV and the subcommittee of parliament on HIV and AIDS. He said this will ensure a feedback of the community to the parliament while making any policies for the HIV community. He also requested the MNA for her support for a quota for positive females in TWETA and other government institutions which are involved in imparting technical and vocational training. The National Coordinator briefed the MNA about the working of the APLHIV and the idea behind to establish the POFEN.
Later the chief guest mixed up with the participants and discussed about their issues. The Chief Guest was also presented a shield of the APLHIV on the occasion as a token of thanks
