World Health Day: Focus on HIV/AIDS

HIV/AIDS is a major concern for developing countries worldwide. Lack of education, poor nutrition and inadequate health care, linked with extreme poverty, make people in the poorest countries most vulnerable to HIV/AIDS.

Like most developing countries, this disease is a major concern for South Africa because it is a deterrent for development. HIV/AIDS increases poverty and reverses human development. The Global Health Facts data indicate that 21.5% of South Africa’s 5,300,000 adults are living with HIV/AIDS. This high prevalence of HIV/AIDS in our most productive age group poses a major challenge for both government and civil society.

The HIV/AIDS pandemic is growing rapidly every year, resulting in NGOs working across a wide range of issues continuously having to contend with an ever-increasing number of people in need of their assistance.

HIV/AIDS development NGOs have been very influential in developing strategies to curtail the spread of HIV/AIDS and help people affected by the virus. These NGOs have had a tremendous impact on the lives of many South Africans. Development NGOs, in particular, have ensured that HIV/AIDS is an integral part of their programmatic focus, with the view that knowledge of HIV/AIDS is the first step towards prevention. Stopping the spread of HIV/AIDS is essential for sustainable development.

Common Programme Areas for HIV/AIDS NGOs

• Training and education
• Raising awareness about HIV/AIDS
• Prevention of HIV infection
• Treatment and care support programmes
• Empowerment of people affected by HIV/AIDS
• Support for AIDS orphans

HIV/AIDS Development NGOs

• Aids Consortium
• Aids Foundation of South Africa
• AIDS Law Project
• Care South Africa – Lesotho
• Centre for Aids Development, Research and Evaluation
• Centre for the Aids Programme of Research in South Africa
• Centre for HIV/Aids Networking
• Children in Distress Network
• HIV for South Africa
• Homes for Kids in South Africa
• National Association of People Living with HIV/AIDS – SA
• Nurturing orphans of AIDS for Humanity
• Soul City Institute for Health and Development Communication
• Treatment Action Campaign

Related Articles
 

• Tools Together Now: Participatory Tools to Facilitate Mobilising Communities for HIV/AIDS. 
• Expanding Community Action on HIV/AIDS: NGO/CBO Strategies for Scaling Up. 
• Missing the Target: A Report on HIV/AIDS Treatment Access from the Frontlines.
• Buckling: The Impact of AIDS in South Africa 2005.
• 700 000 People Living with HIV/AIDS in Developing Countries Now Receiving Treatment: Partnerships Across all Sectors are Driving Treatment Scale Up.

Related Links
 

• AfroAIDSinfo project
• AIDS.ORG
• Aidslink
• AIDS Education Global Information System
• Centre for the Study of AIDS
• Global Network of People Living with AIDS
• International HIV/AIDS Alliance

To contribute information to this development issue, please submit a query to editor@sangonet.org.za. We are particularly interested in information related to capacity building, case studies, debates, advocacy, research, resources and other relevant links.