Breaking Taboo Through Grassroots Advocacy: Inclusive HIV/AIDS Programming in the MENA Region 
CTDC Policy Brief No. 2 – February 2017

This policy brief addresses the urgent rise of HIV/AIDS cases in the MENA region, especially among marginalised groups such as men who have sex with men (MSM), LGBTQ individuals, women, and refugees. It identifies the systemic stigma, criminalisation, and gendered taboos that block access to prevention and care, and critiques the ineffectiveness of state-centric HIV strategies that overlook human rights and community realities.

🔍 Key Issues Highlighted

• Chronic underfunding of HIV/AIDS programmes in the region—especially those with a human rights focus.

• State-led strategies are limited and often contribute to stigma by placing the burden on people living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA).

• Legal and societal norms institutionalise gendered and sexual taboos, deterring vulnerable populations from seeking care.

• Community-based organisations (CBOs) are better positioned to lead inclusive, rights-based interventions tailored to real needs.

🛠️ Strategic Recommendations

• Shift from state-centric to CBO-led, rights-based approaches, ensuring PLWHA are equal partners in programme design and delivery.

• Establish peer-led community centres for support, education, testing, and mental health care.

• Prioritise legal, economic, and health literacy, especially for women living with HIV/AIDS and LGBTQ communities.

• Develop informal service options that guarantee confidentiality and reduce fear of persecution.

• Advocate for combatting stigma through both institutional reform and community narratives around HIV/AIDS.

📈 Expected Outcomes

• Strengthened community champions and grassroots leadership.

• Broader regional collaboration between civil society actors.

• More inclusive, effective, and sustainable HIV/AIDS prevention strategies.

• Improved governance and accountability in public health responses.

The brief calls for a structural transformation of HIV/AIDS programming in MENA, arguing that only by addressing stigma, criminalisation, and exclusion at their roots—through community-led, intersectional, and rights-based strategies—can long-term change be achieved.

👉 To read the full policy brief, click here.