HIS EXCELLENCY RATU EPELI NAILATIKAU
CF, KStJ, LVO, OBE (Mil), CSM, MSD
President of the Republic of Fiji
----------------------------------

LAUNCHING OF THE REPORT ON “INTEGRATED BEHAVIORAL AND BIOLOGICAL SURVEY AND SIZE ESTIMATION OF SEX WORKERS IN FIJI: HIV PREVENTION PROJECT
-----------------------------------

Des Vos on the Park, SUVA Tuesday, 15 July, 2014 10.00a.m.
------------------------------------

• The UNAIDS Country Director, Tim Rwabuhemba
• The Dean, College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Services, Fiji National University, Professor Ian Rouse
• Secretary for Communication and Overseas Mission, Methodist Church in Fiji, Rev James Bhagwan
• Representative Survival Advocacy Network-Vani Ravudi
• Members of the HIV/AIDS Board of Fiji
• Representatives of Faith Based Organisations
• Representatives of CSO Organizations and Key Populations
• Representatives of UN Agencies, Development Partners and Academia
• Distinguished Guests

Good morning, ni sa bula vinaka, asalaam alaykum, namaskar

It is indeed a privilege and honour for me to be here today to witness the launch of an important research report prior to the International Aids Conference opening next week in Melbourne, Australia. I thank you all most warmly for being here today to show your support for the important work towards vulnerable populations, for which we are all responsible.

I would like to especially applaud the key populations for their untiring effort in working together with the key stakeholders in the response to Aids in Fiji.

This work is a collaborative effort between survival advocacy network in Fiji, the Ministry of Health, the Fiji National University and the UNAIDS Pacific Office.

I commend the partners for undertaking this work and for producing such an essential research publication. Your work is a sign of the smart partnership that is required to ending aids in our communities and to addressing the development challenges of today that we face in Fiji.

Working in the HIV/AIDS sector is an important area of leadership not only for the health sector, but for all of us, as the response to HIV is all our business.

Today, I am inspired by the dedication, compassion and resolve to create change through a multi sector response involving government ministries, NGOs, civil society organizations, people living with HIV, the faith based communities, the private sector, academia and the development partners.

I would like to dwell on this important research and the launch of its report.

Many times key populations such as sex workers, men having sex with men, transgender and other marginalized groups are not given the freedom and the audience to freely express themselves. Today marks a key departure as one of the key populations, the sex workers, through the research findings speak to us on key concerns of the sex worker community. For us as leaders and implementers, we need to include these groups in the work that we do especially from the planning stage.

Their inclusion means that they are entitled to active, free and meaningful participation in decisions that directly affect them, such as the design, implementation and monitoring of interventions that affect them. Participation increases ownership and helps to ensure that policies and programmes are responsive to the needs of the people they are intended to benefit. This will create systemic social change, and will in turn create a more caring and compassionate Fiji which in turn will create a more equal Fiji.
The research report that is to be launched provides far reaching and critical guidance that will make Fiji’s HIV response with sex workers, transgender people and other key populations a gold standard for the pacific and beyond. I would like to take this opportunity to highlight some critical recommendations emanating from the research findings that can and should make a profound difference in our response with sex workers and indeed with the other key populations in the national response:

1) A response can only be effective and efficient if communities are fully engaged and are leading the design and the implementation of programmes. Sex workers and transgender people are best placed to tell us what works best in reducing new HIV infections; the research we are launching today gives full testament to this fact.

2) HIV services, that is, the continuum of prevention to care and treatment, must be designed so that they are relevant, are accessible and friendly and that they reach and involve the community where they are most needed and in a timely manner. And a good service should cater for a range of sexual health and support needs if it is to be effective and useful to the community.

3) The provision of comprehensive sexual health services alone however will not be sufficient. As the research points out, a rights based approach requires that sex workers and transgender people have access to legal literacy, legal aid services and other programmes that address, reduce and mitigate sexual, physical, emotional and economic violence which remain pervasive.

4) I am delighted to see the importance given to the role that an effective law enforcement key population community partnership can make. Where police and sex workers communicate and cooperate in such partnership as evident from the countries that have practised the partnership, points to the significant reductions in violence, and the sustenance of safe space where access to condoms and other public health goods and services are guaranteed.

5) Finally the research points to the importance of reconciling our highly progressive, HIV/AIDS decree……the model aids law with other laws, policies and decrees that in their current form restrict our opportunities to enable Fijians to play their role in realizing the three zeros.

Let us courageously tackle these barriers and together, realize the recommendations of the research we are launching today so that we can all proudly declare the ending of AIDS by 2030 in this beautiful land of ours.

Ladies and gentlemen – friends, it is crucial for us to work together and to continue working together.

President Obama once said, quote ‘but if we work together; if we summon what is best in us, with our feet planted firmly in today but our eyes cast towards tomorrow – I know it’s within our reach,’ unquote.

I do believe that if we continue working together involving key populations such as sex workers, MSM, trans genders and people living with HIV Fiji will end AIDS by 2030.

With these words, I have much pleasure in officially launching the Integrated Behavioural and Biological Survey and Size Estimation of Sex Workers in Fiji: HIV Prevention Report.

Thank you, vinaka vakalevu, sukria, bahoot dhanyavaad.

-------------------------------