New Resources for HIV/AIDS
The Internationla Poverty newsletter has compiled some new resources on HIV/Aids and Development.”Mainstreaming HIV/AIDS in Development and Humanitarian
Programmes”
AIDS has radically changed the context in which development and
humanitarian organizations operate, and now they need to adapt
their policies and practice accordingly. The author of this
book, Sue Holden, explains the concept of ‘mainstreaming’
HIV/AIDS in simple language, with practical guidelines for
applying the approach in a wide range of sectors.
Sue Holden’s previous book, “AIDS on the Agenda: Adapting
Development and Humanitarian Programmes to Meet the Challenge
of HIV/AIDS”, made the case for mainstreaming, using both
theoretical discussion and experiences from the field. She has
now adapted that work to produce this shorter and simpler book,
to make the idea and practice of mainstreaming more accessible
to those who actually do development and humanitarian work, as
well as those who manage and fund it. This new book presents
general lessons learned – mainly from the experiences of
non-government and community-based organizations (NGOs and
CBOs) working in the parts of Africa that are worst affected by
HIV/AIDS. Furthermore this book is about the changes that one
needs to make in order to do effective development and
humanitarian work in a world of AIDS. Part 1 of this book
presents the reasoning behind the idea of mainstreaming
HIV/AIDS in existing development and humanitarian work, and
Part 2 presents practical ideas for agencies that are seeking
to mainstream HIV/AIDS into their work. To access this book
on-line please refer to:
http://publications.oxfam.org.uk/oxfam/add_info_006.asp
(“http://publications.oxfam.org.uk/oxfam/add_info_006.asp”)
“Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers: Do They Matter for Children
and Young People Made Vulnerable by HIV/AIDS?”
It is widely agreed that HIV/AIDS should be prominent in the
Poverty Reduction Strategies (PRSPs) of African countries in
light of the challenge the pandemic poses to poverty reduction
efforts. A desk review of PRSPs and National HIV/AIDS Plans
(NSPs) was therefore conducted to assess how HIV/AIDS is being
addressed in PRSPs. The commitments made during the 2001 United
Nations General Assembly Session (UNGASS) provide the framework
of analysis, with a focus on children and young people affected
by HIV/AIDS. The results of the desk review show that the PRSP
process has started to add value by bringing HIV/AIDS into
national poverty planning processes, but progress in
transforming stated objectives into actual programs is slow.
PRSP planned actions are often not backed up with indicators
and budgets, which creates a significant risk of implementation
slippage. Of particular concern is the fact that the situation
of orphans and vulnerable children receives little attention in
PRSPs and National HIV/AIDS Plans (NSPs), despite the large
magnitude of the problem in some countries. This is alarming
given that a serious response for orphans and vulnerable
children requires long term government commitment that is
embedded in multi-sectoral poverty reduction efforts. To access
this paper please refer to:
(“http://www.worldbank.org/afr/wps/wp78.pdf”)
Gender and HIV/AIDS Electronic Library
To promote understanding, knowledge sharing, and action on
HIV/AIDS as a gender equality and human rights issue, UNIFEM,
with support from UNAIDS, has developed a Gender and HIV/AIDS
Electronic Library to provide up-to-date information on the
gender dimensions of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The Electronic
Library, contained in a CD-ROM format, is based on UNIFEM’s
Gender and HIV/AIDS Web Portal and compiles resources produced
by a variety of organizations working on HIV/AIDS, including
cutting-edge research and studies, training resources and
tools, and multi-media advocacy materials. All information can
be easily searched and retrieved using a variety of criteria.
The library is a useful resource for academics, policymakers,
practitioners, journalists, students and others interested in
the gender dimensions of the epidemic. Resources are
complemented by a unique feature called the “e-Course Builder”
that allows users to create and edit a tailored electronic
course.
To obtain a copy of the Gender and HIV/AIDS Electronic Library,
please contact UNIFEM by e-mail at unifem@genderandaids.org
(“mailto:unifem@genderandaids.org”) . The Gender and HIV/AIDS
Electronic Library will be updated in future versions. In the
meantime, regularly updated information and resources can be
found at: http://www.genderandaids.org/
(“http://www.genderandaids.org/”)
Tags: Health