2019 Taiwan Lourdes Association Annual Report
Since 1997, Taiwan Lourdes Association(hereinafter be cited as“TLA”) has been dedicated to serving people living with HIV/AIDS (hereinafter be cited as“PLWHA”) with a commitment to justice and compassion. Over the past 23 years, we have endeavored to enhance their quality of life, uphold fundamental dignity, and foster comprehensive personal development. In 2019, our efforts continued to evolve within the framework of stability, growth, deepening, and advancing the positive impact of PLWHA.
Responding to the changing cultural landscape of PLWHA and those impacted by substance addiction, we consistently expanded our efforts in developing services related to addiction. This includes addressing the increasing needs of individuals struggling with addiction and their families while further enriching and broadening the scope of our services. In 2019, we further diversified the Choulu Therapeutic Community, propelling its multifaceted development.
To refine our services, we actively organized international visits, providing our staff with a broader perspective to better understand the needs and services we provide. Presented below are key accomplishments in our services from the year 2019:
Project |
Content |
Achievement |
Remarks |
Direct Service |
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Community care |
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Over 28000 times in total |
Financial Aid |
Life, medical, housing, others (including referring to other organizations) |
1,562 times;80% of demands have been alleviated. Total amount: NTD 2,610,465 |
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Counseling |
telephone consultation, Counseling Sessions, Consultation, Advisory Services ,Greeting and Care |
8644 times |
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Occupational guidance |
Employment Advisory, job matching, work-for-relief programs, Choulu Farm, and referrals. |
429 times. Nearly half have steady employment. |
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Referral |
Housing, financial, employment and other |
142 times (mainly refers to financial referral, 115 times) |
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Halfway House |
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Outreach |
Services in hospitals, houses of clients or other places |
340 times. Less hospital visits but more house visits. |
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Telephone and Internet consultation |
Providing information through telephone, LINE App and Email |
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HIV Test Service |
Providing anonymous HIV test |
Out of 52 individuals in total, 60% are heterosexual. |
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Community Center |
Support, leisure, socializing event |
3,235 participants |
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Workshops |
Topics includes: Medical, Adaptation, Serodiscordant couples, Intimacy and coming out |
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Support Groups |
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Leisure/ Growth Activities |
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Internet Service |
LINE app Group |
All the groups combined, there are 900 people in total |
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Prison Visits and Consultation |
Individual/group/correspondence counseling and visits |
Individual counseling: 198 people; Group counseling: 140 sessions, 1,791 participants; Correspondence support: 271 times. |
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PLWHA Alliance |
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Substance users’ family support plan |
Beginning with mitigating the harm caused by substance use on the body, mind, and spirit, we offer services to help individuals and families reconnect with society and regain stability. |
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Level 3 & 4 youth drug program |
To serve teenage clients below 18 years old, providing family intervention, referrals, welfare connection and family consultation etc. |
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Scientific Researched-Based Interventions for Drug Addiction Inmates Project |
Serving HIV-negative inmates in Hualien prison, Taichung prison and Taichung Women's Prison
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Taichung Scientific Researched-based Group: 64 sessions, 978 participants.
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Staff Members Training and Supervision |
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On Job Training |
Helper Workshops and training courses |
124 events;512 hours. |
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Supervision |
Individual and group supervision |
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Intern Guiding and training |
Enhancing professional skills and enriching knowledge and techniques in issues related to HIV/AIDS and drug abuse |
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Volunteers Recruitment and Training |
Volunteers Recruiting, training, supervising, service-learning |
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Service Providers for PLWHA workshop |
Service Providers workshops and seminars |
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Publication of promotional materials |
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Education |
General public & service providers |
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Publication |
Publishing brochures, e-books & articles |
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Public Relations and Concept Promotion |
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Social Media Promotion |
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Media report |
Reporting about TLA, and engaging in social conversation and cooperation. |
TLA reports has been released on Give Circle, Taiwan NPO Information Platform ,Peope Citizen Jounalism ,charity.yahoo.com and 14 local media. |
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Advocacy |
Promoting a friendly society with a focus on HIV infection control, patient rights protection, and empowerment, while considering the rights of female individuals living with HIV/AIDS and long-term care needs, and excluding legal constraints such as the HIV Infection Control and Patient Rights Protection Act. |
In 2019, we initiated the 'Building Nests for Love' movement.
We called for the abolition of Article 21 in the HIV Infection Control and Patient Rights Protection Act. ,aiming to eliminate institutional oppression against PLWHA.
We organized the first PLWHA Empowerment Camp for women.
Approximately half of our clients showed interest in elderly issues, with most expressing concerns about future care during their senior years. In response, we revised and published the 'Aging with Love – PLWHA Handbook for the Golden Years.
We also invited PLWHA to participate in three empowerment training sessions. |
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A Survey on the Current Living Conditions of PLWHA |
The Current Status of Treatment for PLWHA, Support Systems, Experience of Discrimination, Psychological Well-being, Recreational Drug Use, Sexual Life, and Current Concerns |
95.3% of PLWHA are currently undergoing treatment, with 91% having undetectable viral loads. However, 17.4% of PLWHA experience medication side effects.
Forty percent of PLWHA have disclosed their HIV/AIDS status to family members, including parents and siblings. About 57.2% inform friends who are also PLWHA.
Over 50% of heterosexual PLWHA seek help from family members or siblings, while 35.9% of non-heterosexual individuals seek assistance from parents.
3.8% of PLWHA have experienced rejection from caregiving institutions.
Additionally, 2.6% of PLWHA have faced employment discrimination after voluntarily disclosing their infection status. 11.3% of PLWHA has lost their jobs or experienced workplace exclusion due to identity exposure.
Among those using recreational drugs, 45% use methamphetamines, with 71.1% using them to enhance sexual experiences. |
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International Interaction |
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We collaborated with the The Beijing Home of Red Ribbon, the Hong Kong AIDS Foundation, and the Macao AIDS Care Association (MAC) to organize a forum under the theme 'Diverse Prevention, Collaborative Empowerment,' aiming to achieve the goals of the fourth 90%.
As part of the 'Getting to Zero' HIV campaign, we visited San Francisco, engaging with nine different organizations. Our Secretary General and Mrs. Man-Zu from our services were invited to share their experiences and the life journey of PLWHA at the Asia Women's HIV Advocacy Training Workshop.
We also participated in the 26th International Harm Reduction Conference in Porto, Portugal, sharing our experience in constructing a community care model based on the harm reduction concept. We contributed to international exchange by submitting a poster paper for the conference. |
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Collaborative Research Project Beyond the Association |
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Exploring strategies for local community education and intervention to combat HIV stigma.
The global pharmaceutical company reputation survey (Patient View) prompted a reconsideration of how to authentically address the needs of patients.
Fifteen percent of PLWHA have never discussed their medication situation with a physician or case manager, and seventy percent of them have comorbidities. |
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Information System Development |
Establishing Case Management and Internal Administration Systems |
The progress in establishing the new case management system has reached 85%. Currently, we are tailoring and designing the database based on the service requirements, optimizing report presentation |
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