Advocacy on Migrant’s HIV Issues, Enhancing their Access to Health Services, Promoting and Protecting HIV Positive Migrant’s Rights in Philippines
ROBERT CARR FUND
Funder
The Project aims to advocate for the institutionalization of responsive HIV-related programs through institutional advocacy and capacity building. At the same time, it seeks the sustainability of these programs through financing advocacy and policy development.
Finished Activities:
- Community consultations. Consultations on the reintegration issues and concerns of OFWs were conducted among former OFWs in various regions of the country.
- Stakeholder Forum. The results of the consultations were presented to the government and other stakeholders towards the development of the reintegration program for OFWS living with HIV.
- HIV Orientation for Foreign Service Officers. Newly appointe Foreign Service Officers were given orientation on HIV and HIV-related concerns of OFWs that they may have to deal with overseas when they get deployed.
Ongoing and Upcoming Activities:
- Financial Assistance for OFWs affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the pandemic has affected the accessibility of HIV services, the project extended its scope to include the provision of financial assistance for OFWs to make sure that they still receive the needed medications and ARVs during the pandemic when mobility is restricted.
- Rapid assessment of the mental health issues and concerns of OFWs living with HIV in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. The need for mental health services was a recurring theme during the community consultations and its importance was made more urgent because of the pandemic which affected OFWs and migration in general.
- TB and Human Rights Training of Trainers – BFPH core group will undergo training on basic human rights and will create a pool of trainers from the group.
- De-briefing sessions for OFWs. The project supports the provision of psycho-social services for OFWs.