EVA to Promote Activism through Right-Evidence-Action system in Nigeria
Education as a Vaccine participated in a 4-Day Right-Evidence-Action (REAct) training organized by International HIV/AIDS Alliance in Nairobi, Kenya as part of the Partnership to Inspire, Transform and Connect the HIV Response (PITCH) Programme.
The 4-day programme was organized to bring human rights-centered organisations and individuals from different countries together to foster activism on human rights issues.
The REAct is a tool for documentation of different human right violations. The training availed the participants the opportunity to be conversant with the system for HIV-related human rights monitoring and response.
REAct has been designed mainly, but not exclusively, for community and civil society organisations that focuses on HIV programming and advocacy for key populations.
Everyone has the right to health. The REAct system enables the recording of individuals’ cases in order to respond to their crises or emergencies, provide or refer to rights-based programmes and intervention, a body of evidence for advocacy and use data for analysis and research.
“The training will help partners, including EVA to respond to human rights barriers to accessing HIV- services and strengthen its advocacy skills, build capacities and promote innovative evidence-informed practice.” Ibitein Fiberesima, EVA’s Program Officer.
REAct has been set up by the International HIV/AIDS Alliance in 19 countries and is currently operational in 12 countries – Botswana, Burundi, India, Lesotho, Malawi, Uganda, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Lebanon, Namibia, Swaziland and Zambia.
EVA is the lead partner for the implementation of the PITCH programme in Nigeria. At the moment, the REAct system is not operational in the country. Moving forward, “EVA and other partners in the country will henceforth include what they learnt during the workshop into what they are doing in and ensure that REAct becomes operational in the Nigeria”, Ibitein said.