Malawi Network of People Living with HIV / AIDS
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Candlelight 2005 Photos

Candlelight 2006 Photos

   
Advocacy for greater involvement and acceptance of PLWHA at all levels
 
 


Candlelight Memorial

The Candlelight Memorial is an event that aims at remembering those who have lost their lives due to AIDS and advocating support for our children, sisters, brothers, parents, relatives and friends living with HIV.  Since the beginning of the AIDS epidemic in 1981, globally more than 28 million people have lost their lives to the disease while over 42 million continue to live with HIV and AIDS.  In Malawi, more than 500,000 people have died of AIDS and about a million are living with HIV.  The Malawi Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (MANET+) takes lead in organizing this event in collaboration with host districts and partner organizations.

 2007-Theme
2007-theme for International Aids Candlelight Memorial (IACM) "Leading the way to a world without AIDS" and a Malawi theme of "Leading the way to a Malawi without Aids"

Preparations
Approach to 2007 IACM commemoration
Unlike in the previous years where Malawi held one national commemoration followed by one or two regional events this year the commemoration was held at District and community levels

Planning committees (NSC, sub-committees)

There was a National Steering Commitee(NSC) with several subcommitees. the NSC comprised Department of HIV/AIDS and Nutrition, National AIDS Commission, MANET+ and other partners(public sector, private sector, civil society, development partners, fbo sector, national assembly)

At District level there was a distcrict steering committee.

Publicizing the event
the NSC mandated the publicity subcommittee to publicise the event through three regional meetings. District Commissioners, District Information Officers and District AIDS coordinators attended this meeting and took up issues to their respective districts.

Challenges

Shifting of approach/es

 Inadequate support from stakeholders

Support for District Assembly commemorations

Publicizing the event through the media and District Assemblies

more

 

Theme:

Never Give Up

Never Forget

 

 This year’s opening ceremony will be held in Lilongwe, Malawi, one of several sub-Saharan African countries hard hit by this disease.

The 2008 opening ceremony will be co-hosted by the Global Health Council and MANET+ (the Malawi Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS), with the support of other local, national and international partners. MANET+ was chosen as the Council’s partner for this special event in recognition of the organization’s leadership in providing support to people living with HIV/AIDS and its history of successfully coordinating Candlelight Memorials.

The International AIDS Candlelight Memorial began in 1983 when a few men in San Francisco decided to hold a memorial and march to bring public attention to a mysterious disease that was causing early and unexplained deaths. Over the years, the Candlelight Memorial spread beyond the United States. In 2007, the Candlelight Memorial was commemorated by small and large groups in more than 1,500 events held in 119 countries, including Malawi.

 
 
 

Orientation on PLHIV CCM Handbook for MANET+ and NAPHAM Members

An orientation meeting was organised by NAPHAM, MANET+ and Policy Project on June 15, 2005 at Kalikuti Hotel, Lilongwe to inform the NAPHAM and MANET+ members about the PLHIV CCM Handbook, its relevance to the PLHIV participation in the Global Fund and Country Coordinating Mechanisms (CCMs).

Full story

 
 
MANET+ Private Bag B377 Lilongwe Malawi Tel. 265 1 773 727 Fax. 265 1 770 194 Email. manetplus@manetplus.com