MEDSINMAGAZINE ISSUE 4 | NOVEMBER 2013
SKIP
Sexpression
SKIP envisage a world where all children are cared for and supported in accessing the basic rights of health, welfare and education within their communities. We strive to improve the lives of vulnerable and impoverished children by developing and maintaining sustainable, context specific community-based projects. By collaborating with external organisations across the globe we believe that it is possible to empower local communities to improve the well-being of their children.
Sexpression:UK is a network of youth educators and advocates who work towards tackling sexual health inequalities on both a local and national level. They do this through local small group teaching with young people in schools and community groups, maintaining a nonjudgmental environment and helping young people seek knowledge and skills they need to achieve the highest attainable level of sexual health. Sexpression also advocates on a national level for curriculum and policy change to improve access to education and services for young people and vulnerable groups. Over the last few weeks our branches have been recruiting new members to coincide with the new school year and our National Conference on the 9th/10th November focuses around diversifying sex education curriculum to include a wider appreciation of other social determinants of sexual health. If you are unsure if there is a branch of Sexpression at your university then please get in touch at branches@sexpression.org.uk and we'll point you in the right direction. Matt Tuck
Of course it is not just belief we want. SKIP is striving to monitor and evaluate our actions to help prove we are having a positive impact. We acknowledge the importance of training and educating our members not just to augment successful projects but to encourage students and future professionals to advocate the universal rights of the child and implement change. For more information visit www.skipkids.org.uk or email globalhealth@skipkids.org.uk Dave Burgess
Student StopAids Campaign It’s a new term for the SSAC and to spur us on to face the challenges that lie ahead let’s take a moment to reflect back on the huge success we have had with the UK’s Global Fund announcement. Just last month the UK Government revealed that it will be doubling its contribution to the Global Fund, committing £1 billion to the fight against HIV, TB and Malaria. Since it was established in 2002 the Fund has saved over
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9 million lives and put 5.3 million people on life-saving ARVs. With the UK’s contribution a further 750,000 people will get ARV access, 32 million will receive insecticide treated bed nets and TB treatment for over 1 million people. A life saved every 3 minutes! This achievement is in good part due to the dedication of the SSAC to keep the pressure high on the UK government to
maintain their commitment to the Fund, even when contributions waned as a result of the financial crisis. We protested at the AIDS conference in Vienna, we