Africa Advocacy Foundation is a registered charity established in 1996 in the UK. We promote better health outcomes, education and other life opportunities for disadvantaged people through practical support, advocacy, campaigns, information, advice, guidance and training. We work with marginalised communities and in particular migrants at risk and those diagnosed with HIV and sexually transmitted infection, hepatitis, mental health, TB and other health conditions in the UK and across Europe.
“Migrant communities face significant barriers accessing healthcare and the NLO provides a unique platform to address these barriers and to ensure that migrants have equitable access to healthcare and enjoy good quality of life. We are proud to be part of a collective of diverse organisations working with many underserved populations towards better healthcare in Europe.”
Denis Onyango, Head of Programmes, AAF
Correlation – European Harm Reduction Network envisions a far and more inclusive Europe, in which people who use drugs, including other related vulnerable and marginalised people, have equal and universal access to health and social support without being discriminated against and stigmatised.
Established in 2004 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, Correlation Network is a European civil society network and centre of expertise in the field of drug use, harm reduction and social inclusion. Since then, the network has become the result of practice, research and policy coming together. Its activities connect harm reduction services, grass root organizations, community-based services, research and health institutes from all over Europe. Together, Correlation Network cooperates with partners and policy makers on local, national and European level.
“Social and health exclusion, and the inequalities it creates, is a multidimensional and complex phenomenon. People who use drugs are confronted with several layers of stigma, as oftentimes there is an overlap between drug use and sex work, homelessness, migration, or physical and mental health, among others. By participating in NLO, Correlation – European Harm Reduction Network would like to contribute to a fairer and more inclusive Europe in which marginalised and underserved communities can access social and health support.”
Eberhard Schatz, Coordinator, Correlation
The European AIDS Treatment Group (EATG) is a patient-led NGO that advocates for the rights and interests of people living with or affected by HIV/ AIDS and related co-infections within the WHO Europe region. Founded in 1992, the EATG is a network of more than 180 nationally-based members from 47 countries in Europe.
Our members are PLHIV and representatives of different communities affected by HIV/AIDS and co-infections. EATG represents the diversity of more than 2.3 million people living with HIV (PLHIV) in Europe, as well as those affected by HIV/AIDS and co-infections.
Since its foundation, the EATG has been at the forefront of the development of the civil society response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Europe and Central Asia. We represent and defend the treatment-related interests of people living with HIV/AIDS and related co-infections. Our activities focus on treatment literacy and treatment advocacy.
EATG’s mission is to achieve the fastest possible access to state-of-the-art medical products, devices and diagnostic tests that prevent or treat HIV and improve the quality of life of people living with or who are at risk of HIV/AIDS in Europe and Central Asia. We aim for universal access to standard of care treatment, diagnostics and prevention to all countries in Europe and Central Asia.
“Many of the populations that are most affected by HIV and related co-infections have consistently poorer access to health and other needed services due to stigma, discrimination, criminalization, social exclusion and incarceration. EATG welcomes the NLO Initiative as a platform to share experience and to develop tools to make these services responsive to the specific needs of persons facing heightened health vulnerabilities.”
Pieter Vanholder, Executive Director, EATG
FEANTSA is the European Federation of National Organisations Working with the Homeless. With over 100 members across Europe, the federation is the only European NGO focusing exclusively on the fight against homelessness. FEANTSA’s goal is to end homelessness in Europe. It does this by
– engaging in constant dialogue with EU bodies, as well as national & regional governments
– conducting and disseminating research and data collection
– promoting and facilitating the exchange of information, experience and good practice
– and raising public awareness about the complexity of homelessness.
The organisation has consultative status at the Council of Europe and the United Nations.
“Many healthcare and social welfare systems across the EU fail to reach out to the most vulnerable – such as homeless people. As a result, health inequality is increasing, and so are certain inherently social issues – like homelessness – which are becoming a public health concern.
That is why the NLO is important: it puts access to health for highly vulnerable people on the political agenda of the EU and of Member States. NLO provides practical guidance for policy makers and health professionals to make sure Nobody is Left Outside. We at FEANTSA are proud to be involved in this initiative.”
Frederik Spinnewijn, Director, FEANTSA
The Hepatitis C Trust (HCT) is the national UK charity for hepatitis C. Established in 2000, it is a patient-led and patient-run organization. HCT is dedicated to making a difference to people affected by hepatitis C by providing up to date information, advocacy and support to enable them to meet their hepatitis C and health related needs. The Trust guiding principle is ‘patient perspective’, meaning that all views or issues are faced from the perspective of direct personnel experience. Our mission is to see the elimination of hepatitis C as a serious public health issue by 2030.
“The disparity of healthcare within individual countries across Europe is shocking, with most of those adversely affected coming from marginalised and underserved groups, who have little or no access to mainstream healthcare systems. The NLO platform offers solutions to address the barriers these groups face, solutions that can enable equitable access to healthcare – a human right that should be available to all. It is a privilege to be a part of this collective of like-minded organisations working with and supporting underserved and isolated groups to attain equality of access to healthcare.”
Rachel Halford, CEO, The Hepatitis C Trust
The European Sex Workers’ Rights Alliance – previously the International Committee on the Rights of Sex Workers in Europe (ICRSE), is a sex worker-led network representing more than 100 organisations in 35 countries across Europe and Central Asia. Our aim is to ensure that all sex worker voices are heard and that their human, health and labour rights are recognised and protected. With our actions and approach inspired by our membership community, we work to build a strong, vibrant and sustainable network that mobilises national, regional and international advocacy activity that moves us towards long-term, systemic change.
“ESWA is proud to be a member of NLO and ensure that the voices of sex workers are represented in the platform. Sex workers often face serious discrimination and other structural barriers in accessing health services. Those obstacles are often compounded by the intersection of sex work with other social vulnerabilities such as migration, LGBT identities, homelessness or drug use. European institutions must urgently consider how criminalisation and intersectional stigmatisation act as barriers to sex workers and other marginalised populations to improve access to healthcare among underserved, vulnerable populations across Europe.”
Luca Stevenson, Coordinator, ESWA
The European Region of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA-Europe) is a driving force for political, legal and social change in Europe and Central Asia. Our vision is of a world where dignity, freedoms and full enjoyment of human rights are protected and ensured to everyone regardless of their actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics.
ILGA-Europe are an independent, international non-governmental umbrella organisation bringing together nearly 600 organisations from 54 countries in Europe and Central Asia. We are part of the wider international ILGA organisation, but ILGA-Europe were established as a separate region of ILGA and an independent legal entity in 1996. ILGA itself was created in 1978.
“The causes of health inequalities include a range of factors such as minority stress, victimisation, individual and institutional discrimination and stigma. In addition, heterosexism and heteronormativity may lead to barriers that prevent access to care where health professionals may (un)intentionally and (un)knowingly be disrespectful and insensitive. We believe that the NLO coalition is key in tackling these barriers. With increased knowledge and understanding, health professionals can work in partnership with LGBTI people to address these barriers and ensure service provision becomes more inclusive and accessible for all.”
Katrin Hugendubel, Advocacy Director, ILGA-Europe
The Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) was set up in 2010 with academic and government institutions interested in creating a centre of excellence in research and knowledge translation in Barcelona equipped to meet the new challenges facing global health in the 21st century.
“Scientific research is the backbone of ISGlobal’s work. This activity is carried out with a focus on translational research and in collaboration with many partners and associates. NLO provides an excellent platform for us to fulfil our mission.”
Jeffrey Lazarus, Associate Research Professor, ISGlobal
NPS Italia is an Italian network of people living with HIV. Our main mission is improving the lives of people living with or affected by HIV and other co-infections, such as hepatitis. Since 2004 we have been working on prison health thanks to the work of our peer educators.
Considering the high prevalence of hepatitis/HIV in prison environments, we aim to provide testing and access to treatment and address a public health issue by saving lives, reducing disease transmission, and reducing costs related to rising morbidity and mortality.
“We hope we will be able to actively contribute to the NLO initiative’, providing insight into the challenges and possible solutions in improving the delivery of healthcare services within prison settings, showcasing examples of best practice which could be replicated in other countries.”
Mario Cascio, Project Coordinator, NPS Italy
PICUM, the Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants, is a network of more than 160 organisations working to ensure social justice and human rights for undocumented migrants.
Grounded in principles and values of social justice, anti-racism and equality, PICUM seeks a world where human mobility is recognised as a normal reality, and where all people are guaranteed their human rights regardless of migration or residence status. Bringing together a broad range of experience and expertise, PICUM generates and coordinates a humane and informed response to undocumented migrants’ realities and provides a platform to engage policy makers and a broad range of actors in the full realisation of their rights. PICUM’s work extends across several areas, including the right to health, and involves collaboration with a diverse group of partners, including health professionals, academics, NGOs and local authorities.
“People who are undocumented face significant challenges in accessing services because of many factors. These include limited entitlements as well as fear, because they know that seeking help could lead to deportation. PICUM is very pleased to be part of a coalition of organisations giving visibility to the realities of people who are often neglected by our health systems, and that is also up lifting up examples of good practice, providing guidance based on our collective experience and expertise on how we can do better in serving our communities.”
Michele LeVoy, Director, PICUM