The 2009 edition of the Cordaid HIV and AIDS Award on home based care for people living
with HIV (PLHIV) is organised in cooperation with partners of the
Caregivers Action
Alliance’s (CAA) Organising Committee1. This award will high light leadership around
strengthening home based care in responding to HIV and AIDS in
the Global South.
AIDS has changed the fabric of communities around the world and placed a burden on the
lives of many people, especially women, older and young women and girls. With
health
systems failing and people living longer with HIV due to access to Antiretrovirals (ARVs),
mainly poor women, are increasingly forced to devote their time, energy, skills and the littleresources to care for their family members at home and provide services to the wider
community, often at their own expense. This invisible task-shifting is insufficiently
recognised, valued and
validated as work.
The majority of care work due to illness takes place in the home and is mostly done by
women of all ages. This work is done for a number of reasons, including the
preference of
patients and their families, the lack of a coordinated public policy addressing care needs, as
well as inadequate health infrastructure and human resources. The vast majority of care
costs
and burdens are borne by households and individuals, often those most in need.
The Cordaid HIV and AIDS Award wishes to focus on the essential work done by home
based caregivers. The
Award consists of financial support amounting to €15.000 for an
organization and €5,000 for an individual. The deadline for nominating organizations or
individuals is
September 15, 2009. The Nomination Form and the Rules and Procedures can
be downloaded from: http://www.cordaidpartners.com/rooms/hiv-and-aids-award-2009
The Cordaid HIV and AIDS Award
will be facilitated by a Review Panel consisting of
representatives from the Caregivers Action Alliance (CAA), (Cordaid, HelpAge
International, Huairou Commission, VSO International), and World YWCA
who will be
selecting the award recipients. The selection criteria require from organisations and
individuals among others to display vision and leadership, to demonstrate outstanding
commitment and
impact evidence and to show how caregivers and PLHIV are involved. The
financial support must be spent on activities around strengthening home based care
activities in responding to HIV and AIDS.
Note for editors: More information on the Cordaid HIV and Aids Award may be obtained from Wim
Brouwer, Cordaid press officer, +31(0)6-11 306 424. See also and
www.cordaid.nl.
1(Cordaid, HelpAge International Huairou Commission, VSO International) as well as the WorldYWCA.
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
Robert J. Coury, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Mylan, speaks during a news conference with former U.S. President Bill Clinton (L), in New York, August 6, 2009. Through his Clinton ...
