Africa/Global: Bringing HIV prevention back to the forefront

Dear Colleagues,

UNAIDS - the main United Nations agency on HIV/AIDS - is currently in
the process of updating its Global Prevention Strategy, an essential and
urgent task in the light of the changing and challenging environment in
which HIV/AIDS prevention programming operates. As part of the process
of examining and re-positioning HIV prevention, UNAIDS have asked the
International AIDS Alliance to consult with partners and facilitate a
process that will allow us to share experiences and feed them back to
UNAIDS to ensure the new Global Prevention Strategy reflects the
realities and challenges on the ground.

We would greatly value your input into this process. UNAIDS will be
presenting this new strategy at programme coordinating board meeting in
December 2004. However, it is a key document and we think it is
important for all of us to provide input, so we would greatly appreciate
it if you could be part of our response.

Please take a few minutes to provide responses to these five questions
below. To focus our feedback and input, the Alliance has put together a
number of discussion points for you to look at. They would welcome
feedback directly to: [email protected]
latest by Friday 15 October 2004.

Thank you very much for your time!

Omololu Falobi
Main Africa NGO Delegate
UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board

Programme Director
Journalists Against AIDS (JAAIDS) Nigeria
Email: [email protected]=20

The challenge:

The re-working of the Global Prevention strategy is an opportunity to
critically examine the challenges that currently exist in prevention
programming, not only expanded HIV/AIDS treatment but also the context
of increasing levels of poverty. The prevention strategy aims to inform
not just the UN agencies but the policy and political leaders of the
world. The commitment to the reinforcing strategies of Risk, Impact and
Vulnerability Reduction is unchanged: the challenge now is to capture
the attention of, and push for action from, not only the UN agencies but
the world at large. What do we feel UNAIDS' key strategies should be
to ensure that this is achieved?

Discussion points:

Q1. What prevention strategies have been shown to be effective in
your area? Over what period of time?
Q2. How is the external environment affecting your work, both
positively (in terms of new opportunities and challenges) and
negatively? Areas to consider: civil society capacity/involvement,
funding, economic conditions.
Q3. How much does the current legal and policy environment underpin
effective prevention work in your country?
Q4. What would be necessary to take effective prevention strategies
to scale?
Q5. Does current thinking in prevention work contribute to reducing
vulnerability, tackle human rights issues and reduce stigma and
discrimination?

Points to consider:

The purpose of comments is to ensure that a solid policy framework is
based on effective practice on the ground. We must not be tempted to
provide a technical / interventions shopping list of our projects but
rather consider how the lessons learned can ensure policy and direction
that can influence right across the UN agencies, not just UNAIDS.

Is there anything missing from current prevention thinking / statements
at a national, regional and global level? What needs greater attention
/ highlighting and why?

Vulnerability reduction: UNAIDS will remain committed to the reinforcing
strategies of Risk, Vulnerability and Impact Reduction. Does the
increasing level of vulnerability of millions of people and the direct
link to human rights, stigma and discrimination mean that we need to
reinforce efforts towards reducing vulnerability and bring this to the
centre of our efforts?

Does the current prevention strategy reinforce the diversity of those
affected by the epidemic and allow for / ensure that responses are
contextual, country / regionally specific and aimed at having the most
long term sustainable impact?

What do we feel is the current success of the Global Strategy framework
on HIV/AIDS in ensuring that HIV is seen as an integral operational
priority for all UN Agencies =96 eg. WFP, UNHCR, UNICEF, UNFPA, the
World Bank. How have we seen this reflected in their work and our
opportunities for joint programming in countries?

The Alliance is circulating this discussion paper both internally and
externally to our networks and associates. If you feel there are other
networks / organizations that would welcome the opportunity to feed into
the development of the new Global strategy then please do forward on the
discussion points and questions. We have pitched this discussion for
the hopeful inclusion of as many of you as possible, recognising the
varying scope for involvement and opportunity to feedback
electronically.

We further acknowledge that you may also feel that not
all the points raised or questions asked apply to your situation, but
would welcome any comments you which to share. Finally, we would
welcome any feedback you have on this process and please feel free to
contact me if there are points of clarification.

With kind regards,

Sarah Godfree
Head, Prevention Team
Department of Policy and Technical Support
International HIV/AIDS Alliance