In Sub-Saharan Africa, Heartland Alliance International (HAI) addresses the HIV/AIDS epidemic, human trafficking, trauma-informed mental health care for survivors of violent conflict, and empowering women and the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.
Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest rates of HIV/AIDS in the world, with an estimated 24.7 million people living with HIV as of 2013, representing almost 5 percent of the population. In certain groups, including men who have sex with men and sex workers, these rates are even higher: an estimated 14-20 percent of these individuals are HIV positive. These groups often face discrimination and harassment, making it difficult for them to access care. HAI works with these groups to ensure they have access to healthcare and legal services to assert their rights.
HAI addresses a variety of human trafficking issues in Sub-Saharan Africa, supporting women and children who have been kidnapped and sexually exploited by armed groups such as Boko Haram in Nigeria, men who have been forced to work in mines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and boys who have been recruited as child soldiers for armed conflicts. HAI works with local authorities to improve victim identification and provide comprehensive services to help survivors of trafficking heal from the trauma and access legal services.
Stigma-Free Healthcare for ALL: Mercy
After Mercy lost her first child to complications from drug use, she was referred to Heartland Alliance International. Today, Mercy is a mother, a human rights defender, and a peer counselor providing HIV services to hard to reach communities. Although people who inject drugs are among the groups most vulnerable to HIV infection in Nigeria, they often have less access to services because drug use is both criminalized and stigmatized. >> PLAY to learn more about Mercy's journey. #StandUp4HumanRights #StigmaFree #HealthcareForALL #HIV
Posted by Heartland Alliance International on Tuesday, December 10, 2019
