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INTERVIEW - Dr. Emelia Timpo |
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| "Complimentary
efforts can take leadership to scale" |
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| How important is leadership
to the response to HIV/AIDS in Asia? |
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Strong leadership is one of the key requirements here in Asia
if we are to be effective in addressing HIV. We know that
where there has been movement this is because there has been
leadership at every level - from heads of state, to communities
and people living with HIV/AIDS. The world's leaders have signed
up to the UNGASS Declaration of
Commitment, but in many places we are yet to see this commitment
actualised on the groud. This is the leadership we
are looking for. There has been a lot of progress, but there
is still a long way to go. |
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| What is UNAIDS' contribution
to the leadership efforts in Asia Pacific? |
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Here in Asia, the Asia Pacific Leadership Forum (APLF) is
one of UNAIDS key contributions in the area of leadership.
Through APLF we are looking to identify and draw in leaders
from a variety of sectors - reaching beyond the health sector.
We aim to promote leadership on HIV issues by the private sector,
PLWHA, community leaders and many more. |
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In particular, it is important to enroll the
top leadership - prime ministers and presidents from across
the region - on
issues of HIV. And this is happening. We saw at the SAARC Summit,
held in Islamabad, leaders from across South Asia
stating their personal engagement on HIV/AIDS. This commitment
is very welcome, but we need to work together to see
how it can be operationalised, and this is where UNAIDS can
provide key support. |
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| What is the road map for UNAIDS’ APLF
programme? |
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APLF is developing into a strong resource for
the region’s response. We already have a dedicated group
of eight eminent
people from Asia Pacific, who can undertake high-level advocacy
on regional and national issues. In addition, the work of
APLF involves a shared learning initiative, which is helping
to build the capacity of leaders from all sectors to work effectively
on HIV/AIDS. |
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APLF plays a key role in identifying the roadblocks within
national responses - the factors that are stopping countries
from moving forward - and in fostering the leadership needed
within countries to address these roadblocks. |
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| How does APLF dovetail with other leadership
efforts, such as UNDP's Leadership for Results Programme? |
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| Before APLF there were already solid initiatives
in place to develop leadership on HIV/AIDS - by UNAIDS, the
co-sponsors, and many others outside the UN system. It is important
that all of us working in this field collaborate effectively
to ensure that we complement and learn from each other, and
to see where we can provide support and develop synergy. For
example, UNDP, through its Leadership for Results programme
and other initiatives, has been providing capacity and leadership
building to PLWHA across the region. APLF can work together
with UNDP to provide ongoing support to sustain and develop
this PLWHA leadership. |
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In South Asia, the main leadership initiative is the UNDP
Leadership for Results Programme. UNICEF is also playing a
key role in advocacy on HIV issues at the highest level. UNAIDS
can link up, support and work in collaboration with
these initiatives, for a synergistic UN response. APLF has the
potential to bring to light some of the key issues in the region
- gender, mobility, trafficking and others - and to really highlight
these at the highest level. |
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| What has been the response
to APLF from different countries and stakeholders? |
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| Different workplans have been developed in different
countries, responding to each unique national situation. For
example, in Sri Lanka, an eminent persons’ group has been
formed and has already endorsed the priorities for the work.
Likewise, in India, there has been a great move forward with
the development of the Parliamentarians’ forum. And APLF
is in a good position to take forward this initiative on political
leadership at the Panchayati Raj level, for real scaling out
and impact. |
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| What were your experiences
with the Leadership for Results Programme in Ethiopia? |
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| It was a wonderful experience. In the Ethiopia
programme, the focus was on developing leadership from different
sectors. There was great work done with arts and media and also
with communities in selected regions. In particular, there was
a lot of attention given to promoting leadership by women on
HIV issues. |
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One real breakthrough was the fact that the heads of the regional
HIV programmes began to engage in meaningful
coordination with other sectors. Another important step was
the personal leadership and involvement of state level leaders
in the community conversations initiatives. But perhaps the
real highlight was, the empowerment of communities through the
community conversations. Communities identified their own needs
and accessed the resources they needed to take action - including
World Bank resources. That was very powerful. |
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| What are your comments about
the future of the Leadership for Results Programme? What do
you think needs to be done to scale up, to sustain the work
and follow through on the breakthrough initiatives? |
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| The development of strong linkages between this
programme and the work of others is vital if the momentum is
to be sustained. Through Leadership for Results, innovative
breakthrough initiatives have been identified, now we need to
channel resources to scale these up. |
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| For example, in Andhra Pradesh, the exciting work coming out
of the Leadership for Results programme, must be incorporated
into the overall state level programme, drawing in resources
from UNAIDS and the co-sponsors, and others such as the Gates
Foundation. |
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UNAIDS is clear that in each country there should
be only one national HIV/AIDS programme, HIV/AIDS strategic
plan,
monitoring and evaluation system etc. The work that takes place
on HIV must take place in this coordinated national
framework in order to be effective. Therefore, the initiatives
from the Leadership for Results programmes must be aligned
and become part of these coordinated national - or in the case
of India, state level - responses. |
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| Any last word? |
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Here, in South Asia, we see a new momentum. We
have a major window of opportunity to curb the epidemic, but
to do
this we need to go to scale - move from pilot programmes to
comprehensive coverage. And we can only do this if we work together
in ever closer coordination and synergy. That must now be our
focus. |
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| About
Emelia Timpo |
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