Huerdo-Sigueiros J; Comite Observacion y Mex - Sida; International Conference on AIDS; salud, sexualidad y Suplemento Letra S.
Int Conf AIDS. 2000 Jul 9-14; 13: abstract no. TuPeE3976.
J. Huerdo-Sigueiros, Posithivos, por la salud y la diversidad, Altata # 19 - 3, Condesa, Distrito Federal, C.P. 06170, Mexico, Tel.: +52 5 516 97 75, Fax: +52 5 516 97 75, E-mail: posithivos@infosel.net.mx
Issues: The D.F. (Federal District) is the capital of Mexico. In 1998, citizens voted for the first time to elect a governor for this city. The PRD (Party for the Democratic Revolution), won over the PRI (Revolutionary and Institutional Party), which has been ruling the country for the last 70 year, and over the PAN, a conservative party. The City of Mexico had never had an specific anti-AIDS program. The federal government had been responsible for all medical care in all areas. With the new freely-elected local government, it became necessary to create a specific anti-AIDS program for our city, considering that this capital alone concentrates 40% of all national HIV/AIDS cases. Description: From several sectors of the population came proposals to create the Commitee of Prevention and Control of HIV/AIDS in the D.F, and to install the first Specialized Clinic on HIV/AIDS. After long and multiple negotiations with the local authorities, we managed to get a building for the clinic. Nonetheless, on december 1st 1999, the Minister of Health for the D.F. declared to the press that this clinic could not be opened due to the increasing pressures of conservative groups and of neighbors associations opposing such project. PositHIVos (an anti-AIDS NGO), heading several other NGO's, intensified a campaign in the media to counter such decision and to create strategic alliances with other sectors sharing the same interest. On december 3d, PositHIVos initiated a legal procedure against the Social Attorney's Offfice in the D:F, after which a meeting was called by this office on january 12, 2000, with the presence of all sectors concerned. It was then agreed that the AIDS Commitee for the D.F. would be installed on january 18, and that on january 20 the clinic would be inaugurated. The local government kept its promise. Conclusions: Both the AIDS clinic and the AIDS Commitee were installed in a record time compared to similar initiatives in other states of our country. Lobbying is important to sensitize the governmment on these issues and to get from them a favorable political will. It is essential that all this is done through a program that is strategically planned, and which goal be negotiation and not confrontation.
Publication Types:
Keywords:
- Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
- Ambulatory Care Facilities
- HIV Infections
- HIV Seropositivity
- Lobbying
- Mexico
- Politics
- Research
- economics
- education
- organization & administration
Other ID:
UI: 102240081
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