UNOPA

UNOPA

UNOPA is the sole non-guvermental federation from Romania founded by several organisations representing people afected by HIV/AIDS. It's main activity is to promote and defend PLWHA's rights in Romania.

Starting with June 2000, the National Union of Organizations of People Infected / Affected by HIV/AIDS (UNOPA) actively fought for defending and promoting the rights of children, youngsters and adults with HIV/AIDS and also the rights of their families.

UNOPA (www.unopa.ro) is the sole non-governmental federation in Romania composed by organizations of people living with HIV/AIDS that carries out advocacy activities for promoting and defending these people rights. The Federation has a number of 24 member organizations from Bucharest and 16 counties in Romania amounting over 1300 beneficiaries, people with HIV/AIDS.

The objectives for which the UNOPA fights for can be summarized to:

Permanent, free of charge and nondiscriminatory access to the antiretroviral treatment

  • Equal access to services and medical care
  • The right to social protection adequate for the needs of people infected and affected by HIV/AIDS
  • Insurance of an adequate psycho-social support
  • HIV infected people's right to social inclusion
  • The right to education and socio-professional integration.

The interventions principles promoted by UNOPA are as follows:

  • The rights of people with HIV/AIDS - instruments to reduce their physical and social vulnerability
  • Reducing the HIV impact and transmission
  • Support for the leaders of HIV/AIDS children, youngsters and adults
  • Support for capacity building of the member organizations
  • Support for developing the services provided by the member organizations.

Also, UNOPA is one of the organizations that will carry out projects funded by Global Fund under the 6th Round:

  • " From vulnerability to empowerment - education for life"
  • " From vulnerability to empowerment - HIV/AIDS and the job"
  • "From vulnerability to empowerment - advocacy for reducing the stigmatization and discrimination of people living with HIV/AIDS".

UNOPA will carry out the 3 projects through 20 member organizations, with the following stipulated activities:

  • Meetings with HIV youngsters as peer counseling groups organized by each organization involved in the project. The subject of the discussion within the counseling peer groups are focused on the education for life (family planning, avoiding the unwanted pregnancies, STI prevention, counseling, including one to one counseling sessions, etc). these meetings will be moderated by specialists in Psycho-social;
  • Elaboration of a study regarding the identification of percentage between public and private employers who have policies and programs specific for HIV infected people in accordance with the IOM Code on HIV/AIDS (HIV/AIDS on the job);
  • Elaboration of a IEC toolkit "HIV/AIDS and the job", which will contain various information relevant for PLWHA but also for employers. Its purpose is to facilitate the socio-professional integration of PLWHA and their socio-professional integration. Within this activity it is also foreseen to be organized some round tables with employers, authorities and mass media, national conferences, activities that will be implemented locally and central by the UNOPA member organizations and their partners.

Read more about UNOPA on www.unopa.ro !