AAE member AGIHAS
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05.05.2011

AIDS Action Europe currently unites more than 400 NGOs in 46 countries in Europe and Central Asia. In each e-news, one of our member NGOs presents its organisation and its activities to the rest of the network. We hope that this will inspire other NGOs throughout the region and that it will encourage further linking and learning between our members. Together we can work to a better response to the HIV epidemic! Do you want to present your organisation in our next e-news? Please contact our communications coordinator Martine van der Meulen. www.aidsactioneurope.org

Our member: AGIHAS
AGIHAS, a people living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA) support group founded in 1993, is the first AIDS NGO in Latvia. Along the years we have achieved varying successes. We participated in uniting 3 Baltic countries in establishing the Baltic Positive Network (1994), and in introducing the first disability pensions for PLWHA among ex-soviet countries (1994). In 2005 we got recognised as a public benefit organisation. 
 

Main activities
Our first projects were of practical nature, like covering dental expenses for PLWHA. However, the main activities of our organisation consist of:
•treatment advocacy and education;
•voluntary peer-to-peer consultations at the AIDS hospital;
•psychological support;
•preventive and educative work in all the Latvian prisons.
Treatment advocacy
AGIHAS has a strong history in treatment advocacy and fighting against treatment interruptions. We are proud that Latvia nowadays provides its HIV patients with all the existing ARV drugs (except „Atripla”). The AIDS hospital even provided free nutritional supplements to PLWHA for several years, partially thanks to successful treatment advocacy initiatives by AGIHAS.
 

Advocating for an HIV memorial stela
In 1993 an HIV memorial monument was erected in the city centre of Riga. Unfortunately, 10 years later, the Riga Municipality seemed to have forgotten what the monument was about and removed it. We have been successful in convincing the municipality to put back the monument. This example emphasizes the necessity of AGIHAS’ existence.
 

Working with partners
We appreciate our many partnerships and friendships, like we have with ECUO and the Swedish “PositHIVagruppen”. Working with partners has contributed to interesting results e.g. with the support of ECUO and help of Association HIV.LV, we published a poetry book of PLWHA (poetry being very popular in Latvia). Naturally, we are open to new contacts as well. So, let’s be friends!

(AGIHAS Board)