Fighting HIV/AIDS Through International Cooperation and the Right to Health Normative Features: The Brazilian South-South Cooperation Case

Although International Assistance and Cooperation (IAC) initiatives have been playing an important role to fight HIV, they have been attracting criticisms about its aims, ways of implementation and outcomes. Top-down practices, the lack of coherence and coordination are some of the weaknesses pointed out. Exploring the normative features of the right to health the study suggests elements for the design, implementation and monitoring of effective and sustainable IAC initiatives in public health. The research studied the Brazilian South-South Cooperation in the context of HIV, analysing official agreements and projects between 2005-2010. It acknowledges the existence of state's human rights responsibilities regarding IAC such as the implementation of initiatives in a non-discriminatory basis, ruled by participatory and transparent processes. Also, it identifies the need of taking into account the views of developing countries in order to promote ownership and initiatives that meet the "recipient's country" values and needs.