by Chengetai Madziwa – SANF 05 no 47
A framework to guide the mainstreaming of HIV and AIDS policy in all socio-economic sectors is being developed in southern Africa in an effort to mitigate the impact of the pandemic.
The framework will define the concept of mainstreaming HIV and AIDS in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) as a step towards implementing the SADC Business Plan on HIV and AIDS.
The framework for mainstreaming the pandemic will lay the foundation and principles for the critical steps required to ensure a harmonised approach in the region.
“We all know that the scale of the pandemic in our region is such that we need fundamental behaviour change in the manner in which we conduct business,” said Chief Director of the SADC Secretariat, Themba Mhlongo during a regional training workshop on HIV and AIDS held in South Africa this May.
The meeting, attended by officials from SADC member states, discussed strategies for mainstreaming HIV and AIDS based on the premise that there is a correlation between the pandemic and development.
“It is important to have a paradigm shift in the way we pursue development goals. We are well aware that our commitment to eradicate poverty in the SADC region will remain just a dream if we don’t successfully tackle HIV and AIDS,” said Mhlongo.
The high level of poverty in the region and the challenges faced in gender relations, health systems, literacy levels, trade agreements and economic development make the region’s people highly vulnerable to HIV and AIDS, he said.
The efforts to harmonise approaches to mainstreaming HIV and AIDS are in line with the Maseru Declaration on HIV and AIDS that was signed in 2003. One of the major priorities of the declaration is a multi-sectoral approach to dealing with the pandemic.
SADC’s Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) also emphasises a multisectoral approach to the pandemic.
According to the RISDP, one of the major strategies in dealing with the pandemic is to develop and strengthen the capacity to undertake the mainstreaming of HIV and AIDS at all levels and providing mechanisms and frameworks for the development of guidelines and exchange of best practices in major intervention areas such as mainstreaming of the pandemic.
In addition the RISDP has set out a target to halt and begin to reverse the spread of HIV and AIDS by 2015. Officials attending the workshop agreed that, as part of efforts to achieve this target, a framework for mainstreaming HIV and AIDS which will set the parameters for both national and regional responses is essential.
The workshop emphasised the need to maintain partnerships in implementing HIV and AIDS programmes in the region. They agreed that the full participation of all players including the member states, civil society organisations, private sector and international cooperating partners will ensure the success of the programmes.
Financial capacity to implement the programmes remains as challenge for SADC and it is important to develop meaningful partnerships with international cooperating partners said Mhlongo.
“We do realise that in order to fully meet the demands of our region, we need adequate resources,” said SADC’s Deputy Executive Secretary, Albert Muchanga, during a separate meeting in April. SADC has therefore developed Project Concept Notes that will serve as instruments to engage with cooperating partners, he said.
In addition, the region is also in the process of establishing a regional Trust Fund to cater for the needs of both member states and the regional program on HIV and AIDS.
Appropriate utilisation of resources is also essential in order to gain the confidence of financiers. Fora that are held to discuss HIV and AIDS should demonstrate that they make a difference to people in the region, said Mhlongo. (SARDC)
