Centro Nacional para la Prevenci6n y el Control del VIH/SIDA

"2011, Ario del Turismo en Mexico"

SALUI
Oficio: 08/1136/11

Michael Weinstein President AIDS Healthcare Foundation August 1

st ,

2011

Dear Mr. Weinstein,

This communication is to keep you informed about the unfortunate activities in which your organization has engaged in Mexico recently. From July zs" to zs" we held our national congress in Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico. This was a very successful event. It was successful in many ways, e.g., we were able to discuss public policy in Mexico; identify areas for improvement; increase communication with all our stakeholders; strengthen our relationships with academia and state level officers. We were able to strengthen or re-establish communication with a vast majority of CSOs nation-wide. It was also very successful because it allowed and promoted that all interested parties expressed their opinions. Almost all participants did so in a very civilized and pacific manner, except the protests sponsored/lead by your organization in the closing session. There was no attempt to censor your group's, as well as any other, protest or demonstration. AHF was allowed to hold all and every act of protest, in any segment of the conference, as 10l1g as it was peaceful. There were three types of messages in the demonstrations/protests in the opening and closing ceremonies: a group of protests related to ARV stock-outs in the state-level social security institution in Tabasco which is not dependent from the Federal Government (or CENSIDA); a group of sex workers in Tabasco and other places demanding the fulfillment of the national norms (issued by CENSIDA) that are against mandatory testing; and the AHF-sponsored protests against a homophobia and transphobia CSO based project. The protests from your organization, from your staff and members of AHF sponsored groups, were targeted against a CSO's and CENSIDA's project to fight homophobia and transphobia, as stated above, using phrases such as "Stock-outs are out" ("EI desabasto esta out") and "Universal Access is a reality show" ("EI acceso universal es un reality show") mocking the slogan of our long standing campaing: "Homophobia is out". This CSO project ("La homophobia esta out: el reality") is a fivefold activity: 1) training of new leaders to fight discrimination; 2) creation/strengthening of self-help groups of mothers and fathers of gay or transgender individuals; 3) tool for fathers when a son is coming out; 4) life-style survey to better tailor gay and trans- community preventive actions; 5) preparation of a tool kit for school teachers when a teen or young adult is coming out.

Herschel 119, Col. Anzures, Del. Miguel Hidalgo, C.P. 11590, Mexico, D. F. Tel: +52 (55) 9150-6060 www.censida.salud.qob.mx

Centro Nacional para la Prevenci6n y el Control del VIH/SIDA

"2011, Ario del Turismo en Mexico"

SALUD

The protests from AHF in the closing ceremony, lead by AHF, involving a total of 23 individuals wearing AHF caps and t-shirts, included physical violence against my personal assistant, Ms. Lourdes Medina: she was thrown out of her chair where she was seated -of course as close as possible to the front of the room-when the protesters wanted to start their display. She was held on the floor, kicked and punched. We do not accept or condone violence, much less when directed towards women, working or not in the federal government. Neither from your employees nor from your sponsored projects (or from any other individual or organization for that matter). Furthermore, the declarations to NGO's informal media -sponsored by AHF- from one of your employees, Mr. Bedoya (attached for your reference) attempt to provide a false view of what happened. For example, instead of accepting that he and the AHF affiliated protesters hit Ms. Medina, he lied by saying that Ms. Medina was a security employee blocking their path to protest and that the women being hit was a transgender woman from the community. The room was packed with more than 750 participants in the closing ceremony thus there are hundreds of witnesses of the AHF sponsored violence. ~w Gender based violence and violence against women are not acceptable in Mexico! It is a crime! Organizations that promote violence against women or incur in it are not welcome! . /

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Interestingly, the big banners were held by members of organizations that receive funds from AHF bit individuals, when asked, were unaware of the meaning of the phrases, they were just asked to hold them. Actually, we received several complaints that Mr. Bedoya demanded from members of the organizations that received rapid tests from AHF or who attended the youth forum (co-sponsored by AHF) to join AHF for the demonstrations in the closing session; only 23 individuals protested during that session, including your staff. This protest from AHF and AHF funded projects "demanded dialogue" by showing their mouths closed and covering their ears during the presentations of the network of harm reduction and the network of people living with HIV, as shown in the available videos. In a separate matter, while reviewing your web site and looking at your reports in Mexico it is disquieting that the activities in government health centers are being reported as AHF-funded activities while they are financed with governmental funds, state and federal while they are not the result of your funding. Even . while I do acknowledge that few physicians in our ambulatory prevention and care centers (CAPAS ITS) are being paid by AHF, we do not welcome such contribution since it only delays the acknowledgement of .responsibilities of state governments to pay for staff if we seek a sustainable response. We do have the mechanisms to obtain rapid tests, screening tests in laboratories, condoms and anti-retrovirals. We do want state level officers to perform the necessary administrative steps to guarantee the payment of operating expenditures in the CAPASITS. I thank the contribution of AHF in the past but I look forward a sustained response using the available (and sufficient) domestic public funds for that matter. Please amend your reports to show exclusively the results and outcomes that are attributable to your funding.

Herschel 119, Col. Anzures, Del. Miguel Hidalgo, C.P. 11590, Mexico, D. F. Tel: +52 (55) 9150-6060 www.censida.salud.gobmx

Centro Nacional para la Prevenci6n y el Control del VIH/SIDA

"2011, Ario del Turismo en Mexico"

I am copying this letter to your full board and those listed as Partners of your organization. At the same time, I kindly request that CENSIDA be erased from this list since I have never been asked to be a partner of AHF and it has been more than two years and a half since I took office. To restate our main complaint, we do object in the strongest terms the involvement of your employees, particularly Mr. Bedoya, in direct violence during protests and the means of recruiting protesters. I also ask you to properly inform your board and the public by updating your web site to reflect only the results of your funding and not the results of the government expenditure in Mexico sites. I thank the interest of your organization in supporting activities in Mexico in the past when they showed potential but invite you to reflect on the better use of your funds. I personally and institutionally regret the unfortunate and unproductive involvement of your staff and associates during the past national AIDS conference.

Yours,

Cc.Cc.

Dr. Mauricio Hernandez Avila.- Subsecretario de Salud-Mexico. Rodney L. Wright, MD.- Chair, Board of Directors Judith Briggs-Marsh, Domestic Vice Chair, Board of Directors Diana Hoorzuk, Global Vice Chair, Board of Directors Laurent Fischer, MD, Treasurer, Board of Directors Agapito Diaz, Secretary, Board of Directors Peter Reis.- Senior Vice President. AIDS Health Care Foundation. Jorge Saavedra. Chief of Global Affairs. AIDS Health Care Foundation. Terri Ford, Senior Director of Global Policy and Advocacy. AIDS Health Care Foundation. Kevin D. Shim, Chief Information Officer. AIDS Health Care Foundation. Homayoon Khanlou, Chief of Medicine, United States. AIDS Health Care Foundation. Donna Stidham, Chief of Managed Care. AIDS Health Care Foundation. Laura Nelson, Chief Financial Officer. AIDS Health Care Foundation. Scott Carruthers, National Director of Pharmacy. AIDS Health Care Foundation. Tom Myers, Chief of Public Affairs and General Counsel. AIDS Health Care Foundation. Michael Kahane, Bureau Chief, Southern Region. AIDS Health Care Foundation. Lyle Honig, Assoc. Chief Financial Officer. AIDS Health Care Foundation. Timothy Tandon, Director of Human Resources. AIDS Health Care Foundation.

CC.- Organizations listed as partners in web page: Academy for Educational Development AFABI, A.C. AIDCHILD AIDS Information Center - Uganda Alliance of Mayors Initiative for Community Action on AIDS at the Local Level American International Health Alliance

Herschel 119, Col. Anzures, Del. Miguel Hidalgo, CPo 11590, Mexico, D. F. Tel: +52 (55) 9150-6060 www.censida.salud.gob.mx

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Centro Nacional para la Prevenci6n y el Control del VIH/SIDA

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"2011, Aria del Turismo en Mexico"

SALUD

Asociacion de Investigacion, Desarrollo y Educacion Integral - Guatemala Cambodian Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS Catholic Church Masaka- MADDO Centers for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia CHAI Groups Chikankata Health Services Choma District Hospital Choma Health District Churches Health Association of Zambia Clinton Foundation HIV/AIDS Initiative COESIDA Jalisco COMUSIDA Delhi Network of Positive People Department of Health and Social Welfare, Swaziland Ministry of Health Department of Medical Care, Samara Oblast Administration Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation Emcure Pharmaceuticals India Episcopal Diocese of Honduras Family Life Association of Swaziland Francois Xavier Bagnoud - India Gahana Health Center - Rwanda Gatonde Health District - Rwanda Genx Pharmaceuticals - India Green Harbor AIDS Treatment Center - China Health Districts of Kibagabaga and Shyira Health Need - Uganda International HIV/AIDS Alliance ISESALUD JHPIEGO Kagugu Health Center - Rwanda Kampala City Council Kasilo Community-Based Association - Uganda Keep A Child Alive Kitovu Hospital - Uganda Kitovu Mobile - Uganda La Region Sanitaria Jurisdiccion VIII Lifeline - South Africa Linfen Infectious Disease Hospital - China Local Parish Mobilizers - Uganda Lutheran World Federation/Rakai Comm. Based AIDS Project Macha Mission Hospital Management Sciences for Health Marie Stopes - Uganda Market Vendors AIDS Project - Uganda Masaka District Administration - Uganda Mazabuka Health District Management Board Medical Research Council - Uganda Ministries of Health, Districts of Kibagabaga and Shyira Ministry of Health of Ukraine Ministry of Health, Royal Government of Cambodia Ministry of Health, Saratov Oblast Administration - Russian Federation Monze Hospital - Zambia Muhima Health District Nakawa Market Vendors National AIDS Control Commission (CNLS) National Commission against HIV/AIDS (CNLS)

Herschel 119, Col. Anzures, Del. Miguel Hidalgo, C.P. 11590, Mexico, D. F. Tel: +52 (55) 9150-6060 www.censida.salud.gob.mx

Centro Nacional para la Prevenci6n y el Control del VIH/SIDA

"2011, Ario del Turismo en Mexico"

SAWD

Nkozi AIDS Project Nyakigezi Health Center Organizacion Vallarta Contra el SIDA Park Yard Market Vendors Rakai AIDS Information Network - Uganda Rakai Counseling Association (RACA)/Lutheran World Federation Rakai Health Sciences Program - Uganda Regional Knowledge Hub for the Care and Treatment of HIV/AIDS in Eurasia RTI International Salvation Army World Service Office Samraksha - India Serere Health Sub District (MoH) Servicios de Salud Estado de Jalisco Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement - India Teso AIDS Project The AIDS Service Organization - Uganda The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria The National Center for HIVAIDS Dermatology & Sri's Control - Cambodia The Preah Ket Mealea, Military Hospital, Phnom Penh The Salvation Army, Zambia Territory Tiri HCIV(MoH) Treatment and Research AIDS Center - Rwanda Uganda Christian Outreach Ministries- UCOM Uganda Red Cross Uganda Women Concern Ministry Uganda Women's Effort to Save Orphans
Ukrainian National AIDS Center
UNICEF
VCT Outreach - Uganda Villa Maria Hospital Mobile Home Care World Health Organization World Vision Worldwide Orphans Foundation Youth With a Mission Zambia Ministry of Health

Herschel 119, Col. Anzures, Del. Miguel Hidalgo, CPo 11590, Mexico, D. F. Tel: +52 (55) 9150-6060 www.censida.salud.gob.mx