Most representatives of French departments (dpts) refuse or are not able to grant an urgent help fund (FAR) against AIDS precarity in France and in Africa : detail, discussion and proposals.

Summary

Issues

The FAR is an urgent help fund created by Positifs association for the seropositive persons in social precarity. As more and more people living in France and in Africa contact us, we have decided to also request the representatives in all French departments and regions : Departmental Direction of Sanitary and Social Affairs / DDASS (dd), General Council (cg), Regional Council (cr), Economic and Social Council (ce). Therefore, on 19.03 and on 26.05.1999, we sent a 5 pages letter to these representatives (n=250 : 99/dd, 99/cg, 26/cr, 26/ce) with a request for subsidies (50,000FF for each) for the FAR.

Results

We have received 100 replies (dd=26/99, cg=53/99, cr=13/26, ce=8/26) [We have received the last response on 02 May 2000 that is to say almost one year after we have sent our initial letter]. Among them, 22* (19/cg, 3/dd) asked us first of all to fill up a supplementary file. Finally, none of them agreed to feed the FAR. Advanced reasons :

1. Geographical pattern (n=46/134, 16/dd - 28/cg - 2/cr) : our registered office set out the dpt or out the region (n=29 with 4*), no activity with departmental scope or favor (n=7 with 3*), no people or not enough living on dpt helped by the FAR (n=8 with 2*), national activity of the FAR (n=2)
2. Legal pattern (n=29/134, 6/dd - 13/cg - 10/cr) : AIDS fight falls within the competence of the State according to the legislator (n=10 with 1*), no subside for social urgent help fund in the area of AIDS fight (n=5), all HIV persons in social difficulties come under the common law (n=10 with 1*), the cr is not competent to step in the areas of health and social matters according to the law (n=4)
3. Subside already granted to another association acting in AIDS area (n=23/134, 7/dd - 12/cg - 4/cr) : restricted to prevention and/or information (n=6) or without precision (n=15) [Among the mentioned associations, two have a national activity and among the 15 others, all are sub-branches of AIDES association which have a national activity], wish to subsidize a restricted number of associations (n=2, one of which is cg of Paris)
4. Budgetary limits (n=16 with 5*/134, 5/dd, 8/cg - 3/cr)
5. Other priority without precision (n=1/134, 1/cg)
6. No transmited reason (n=11 with 8*/134, 2/dd - 8/cg - 1/cr)
7. CE have only advisory (n=6/134) or orientation competences (n=2/134). Nevertheless, some of them have encouraged us (n=34) and 40 others more strongly (9 dd, 20 cg, 6 cr, 5 ce)

Conclusions

Implication of dd, cg, cr and ce against AIDS precarity is inapropriate and insufficient. Moreover, certains arguments are doubtful (particularly the withdrawal in their own department) and even conflicting between each dd, cg and cr. However the full details of results must be consulted to discuss them in depth (published on our Internet web site where 1 millions of connexions have been reached). Our proposal : each department could feed the FAR at a level taking into account the similar projects already granted and with a percentage (50% ?) intented to people living with AIDS in their department.

Table of contents

1. Presentation
2. Results (Translation not yet available)
3. Discussion (Translation not yet available)
4. Conclusion and proposals (Translation not yet available)
5. Annex A : Addresses of the contacted institutions (Translation not yet available)
6. Annex B : Maps and graphical representations

SPOKESMAN :
Doctor Gilbert MAURISSON
Secretary-general of POSITIFS association and co-official of the FAR