The 2 1/2 day meeting, co-convened by the World AIDS Campaign and KANCO, brought together participants from some of the largest civil society networks working on AIDS in Kenya.

The only way to get a broad national campaign is to bring everyone together to share ideas. This meeting did this and more. From the meeting a consensus for action emerged on campaigning for universal access including joint actions and messages, particularly on World AIDS Day, within the 2007 and 2008 global theme of “Leadership”.

“Leadership” in an election year

An election year in Kenya marks an opportunity for civil society to engage with political leaders on universal access.

Participants highlighted that information on universal access is lacking amongst civil society. Worryingly, policy makers also are often in the dark about the universal access process. Alarming, because this is the world’s best chance to scale up HIV services in the near future.

“The key words for this meeting are leaders and access. Are they informed? Our policy makers just do not know. They don’t read, but they sign. When shall our policy makers realise that they are blocking universal access by signing these agreements without being informed?” asked Dr. Kibe.

With elections set to take place 2 weeks after World AIDS Day, participants chose to adapt a poster, which shows a ballot box pushing the universal access agenda in Kenya. The message on the poster reads:

Take the Lead: Universal Access to HIV and AIDS Prevention, Treatment, Care and Support Demands committed leadership.Leadership begins with you and me.

Activities planned on or around World AIDS Day, include a range of media initiatives. The Kenyan Long-distance Truck Drivers Association will be displaying their own unique form of highway leadership, driving large trucks from remote areas of Kenya to a central venue in Nairobi, where a large public event will be orchestrated.

Information is essential for campaigning

The participants recognised information dissemination as a great challenge for evidence-based campaigning on universal access in Kenya. “If you are not informed you cannot make any difference. If we know these targets, we must ask - based on what? If we know they are based on the National HIV and AIDS Strategic Plan, then you can demand them to keep to this promise,” said Dr. Kichari. Existing tools for information sharing were presented by Kenya Consortium to Fight Against AIDS, TB and Malaria (KECOFATUMA) and Kenya AIDS NGOs Consortium (KANCO). The AIDS-Portal and an E-magazine were described as including innovative and new technologies such as bulk text messaging systems and digital story telling, which could be great campaigning tools.

Universal Access is not only about treatment

The meeting also aimed to bridge the knowledge gap that exists in Kenyan civil society on universal access by providing information on the status of universal access to form the basis for informed messaging.

“The affected communities do not know [the concept of] universal access or the UNGASS [Declaration of Commitment]. Not many of us, even here in this room today, know universal access well. What about the villagers and communities? We have a challenge of letting others know,” said Joe Muriuki, of the Coalition of HIV Infected and Affected Community Service Organisations in Kenya (CHIAC SOK).

Hon. Dr. Hezron Manduku, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Health, closed the forum by calling for wider focus on universal access, not only to treatment but also to prevention, care and support.

“Achieving universal access requires focus on povertyrelated issues and injustices. This calls for us to pay attention to more than just medicines but also to food, water and sanitation security and reproductive health rights. said Hon. Manduku.