Open Society Foundations Support First African Medical Conference on Transgender Health

On November 27-28, 2010, the South African-based organization Gender Dynamix hosted an historic two-day medical conference on transgender health in Cape Town that brought together transgender activists and community members, government officials, and medical experts from South Africa and other areas of the continent. The meeting was the first of its kind in Africa, and provided an opportunity to establish research and advocacy priorities in developing a rights-based approach to the delivery of health care to transgender people in South Africa and across the continent.

Transgender individuals spoke about their negative experiences within the health system, and discussed the alarmingly high incidence of discrimination they encounter in their daily lives. Health professionals at the conference, including plastic surgeons, sexologists, general practitioners, and counselors, discussed the provision of health services that respected the rights of transgender people and evaluated possible strategies to expand such practices within the health system.

The Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa and the Open Society Public Health Program's Sexual Health and Rights Project provided funding for the conference as part of their efforts to support the development of rights-based approaches to transgender health across the world. A larger, follow-up conference is being planned for late 2011.