Abstract Book Vol. 2 [International Conference on AIDS (14th: 2002: Barcelona, Spain)]

642 Abstracts ThOrG1471-ThOrG1504

XIV International AIDS Conference

low salaries of public health officials are the main barriers, but the lack of a program model that promotes efficiency and avoids redundancy in vertical programs
is another barrier. In Zimbabwe, CDC's Global AIDS Program uses a systemsbased, programmatic model to support strengthened services for HIV/AIDS.
Description: The program model involves six basic function areas: 1) national
guidelines and leadership; 2) relevant laboratory capacity; 3) appropriate information systems; 4) training; 5) other program support, including personnel, material, and operational research; and 6) monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems.
Within each functional area, such as laboratory capacity or M&E tools, options
are chosen based upon needs or standards that cut across multiple interventions, such as the lab and M&E needs of PMTCT, surveillance, and HIV care, with
close attention to the fit in the broader framework of public health systems. In this
way, HIV/AIDS resources address their intended purpose, but also help to build
up rather than erode the underlying infrastructure and systems of public health.
Lessons learned: CDC's programmatic support for prevention and care allows
for economies of scale in supporting MOHCW efforts across diverse programs.
Tools developed for HIV/AIDS programs often address other health care needs
as well.
Recommendations: Scaling up the response to HIV/AIDS in Africa should be
approached systematically and should support and strengthen underlying public health systems and infrastructure. Delineating six functional areas or systems
of public health in Zimbabwe helps to promote health system capacity while addressing priorities in HIV/AIDS.
Presenting author: Michael St. Louis, P.O. Box 3340, U.S. Embassy Harare,
Zimbabwe, Tel.: [phone], Fax: [phone], E-mail: stlouism@zimcdc.
co.zw
ThOrG1471 Community based HIV/AIDS care & support
programme with child focus- a step towards
ensuring a future: experiences from a state-wide
community based care and support programme in
India
S. Mehra, A. Sakhuja, M. Panwar. MAMTA, New Delhi, India
Issues: The way HIV/AIDS affect children follows a tragically predictable pattern
across the developing countries. Their vulnerability gets compounded due to lack
of information and access to services to address the problem. With an increasing
number of potentially vulnerable children, the care and support needs would far
outstrip the family and community substitute care options as well as capacity of
orphanages and other institutions. There is an urgent need to ensure that the families and communities are prepared, ready and willing to take on the responsibility
of children infected and affected by HIV/AIDS.
Description: MAMTA with 8 implementing NGOs is providing home and community based care and support services to children in urban & rural poor communities of Delhi. Target children include those infected & affected; street children;
and vulnerable groups including rag pickers and orphans. We are implementing
the program by strengthening the community based responses; networking with
the local health service providers, teachers and local leaders; building capacities
of the children; establishing linkages between education, vocational training, and
rehabilitation; testing and health care services; and creating a political will and
commitment through advocacy.
Lesson learnt: 1. Awareness of children's rights amongst various stakeholders
is low.
2. For a child's comprehensive growth and development, intersectoral linkages
are critical 3. The existing policies and services are geared to the needs of the
adults and not children.
Recommendations: 1. For countering the epidemic, we need diversity of skills
and expertise, and forging partnerships between different sectors. 2. There is an
urgency to formulate policies and programmes to the needs of children, more so
in rights perspective. 3. The service providers need to be oriented on technical as
well as social aspects of HIV/AIDS with a child focus.
Presenting author: Dr. Sunil Mehra, MAMTA Health Institute for Mother and
Child, 33A, Saidulajaib, M.B. Road, New Delhi - 110030, India, Tel.: +9111
6858067, Fax: [phone], E-mail: [email protected]
ThOrG1472 Community power or tokenism? Impact and
sustainability in Central America and Dominican
Republic
P.J. Lawson1, E. Monterroso2, E. Coleman3. 1Acadmey for Educational
Development (AED), 1825 Connecticut Ave, NW 9th floor- CCHS, Washington,
DC 20009, United States; 2pASCA/A ED, Gautemala City Guatemala;
3Acci6nSIDA/AED, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Issue: Community involvement is critical to prevent and address HIV. Mobilizing communities may mean different things for different programs, people, and
outcomes. Many successful community involvement programs support members

in finding a voice. Yet, defining successful outcomes and evaluating impact and
sustainability of community involvement is essential.
Description: Since 1995, the 1st project aims to strengthen Central America's capacity to respond to the HIV/AIDS in the region. The project shifted fromstrengthening of individual NGOs to strengthening stakeholders' capacity to advocate and
from strategic alliances, working with positive people and other key stakeholders.
As a result of the project ending in 2003, a study was conducted to address sus
tainability in the region. Since 1997, the 2nd project worked to increase access
to HIV/AIDS/STD prevention and care services by at risk and affected populations of the Dominican Republic, using a process whereby stakeholders in HIV
prevention at all levels are involved. The process is one that reflects the principle
of community and grassroots participation. By joining in program and policy decisions, members take ownership and share in responsibility for implementing their
priorities.
Results: Some results from external reviews include: capacity building of positive
people; policy/law development related to HIV and human rights, including lower
costs of antiretrovirals; reduction in sexual partners; increase in condom use; decrease of stigma and discrimination; and involvement of civil society and creation
of positive people networks. Major outcomes include the development of national
strategic plans, the first regional HIV Congress, development of educational and
advocacy materials for policy change and leadership legacy.
Recommendations: Identified "best practices" will be highlighted from both
projects and recommended scale up, expansion, and adaptation of activities to
other countries.
Presenting author: Philippa Lawson, 1825 Connecticut Ave, NW, 9th floor -
CCHS, Washington, DC 20009, United States, Tel.: [phone], Fax: +1
202 884 8474, E-mail: [email protected]
ThOrG1503 Harnessing commercial strengths to combat
HIV/AIDS: An analysis of business impact and
strategy
P. Bery, B. Plumley. Global Business Council on HIV/AIDS, 1515 Broadway, 45th
Floor, New York, NY 10036, United States
Issues: The business sector is increasingly called upon to play a substantive
role in the global response to HIV/AIDS. Business' involvement must be viewed
more broadly than financial contributions. AIDS programs and partnerships can
be enhanced and expanded through traditional business expertise. Yet the value
of harnessing these commercial strengths remains largely unsubstantiated. The
study aims to identify the mutual benefits of this approach both to society and
business.
Description: The motivation behind business involvement in HIV/AIDS and other
socio-economic crises is reviewed. The study examines case studies from a wide
range of industrial sectors, with qualitative and quantitative analyses of the impact that business can have not only in the HIV arena, but where relevant, in
other social issues of concern to businesses' core interests.
Lessons Learned: Business has key strengths to offer. Traditional skills, unique
to the sector, such as logistics and distribution, resource management, communication and marketing can be used effectively to respond creatively to HIV/AIDS in,
for example, behavior change campaigns, procurement and distribution of commodities and information materials, and improved management of programs.
Recommendations: Business action is essential and must be galvanized. Companies should be encouraged to employ traditional commercial skills in partnership with the public sector and civil society on HIV/AIDS. The most effective business response to this crisis results from a more applied and sustainable engagement beyond philanthropy-the role usually associated with corporate responsibility. Business should also actively advocate with governments and civil society
for greater multi-sectoral action against HIV/AIDS. Governments, civil society and
the international community should incorporate into their programming the unique
contribution business can make through its commercial strengths.
Presenting author: Priya Bery, 1515 Broadway, 45th Floor, New York, NY,
10036, United States, Tel.: [phone], Fax: [phone], E-mail:
pbery @ businessfightsaids.org
ThOrG1504 Mobilising employers'and workers' organizations
to combat HIV/AIDS at the workplace
S. Leather B. Alli, F. Lisk. International Labour Office, International Labour
Office, 4, Route des Moti/lons, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
Issues: The ILO Programme on HIV/AIDS and the world of work was established in November 2000. It builds on the ILO's strenghts and existing structures,
and collaborates with its tripartite constituents to promote prevention in the workplace, combat discrimination, and mitigate the social and economic impact of the
disease. Its main areas of action are advocacy and awareness-raising, with particular focus on mobilizing employers and workers; policy guidance and standardsetting; and strenghtning the capacity of its constituents through technical cooperation.
Description: The ILO code of practice on HIV/AIDS and the world of work outlines the contribution that employers, workers and their organizations can make
to combat HIV/AIDS: education for prevention, training for peer educators in the
workforce and key officials in the world of work, adapting existing medical services and employee assistance schemes, ensuring the protection of rights and
access to benefits, and social security, encouraging workers to agree to voluntary

counseling and testing and helping employers provide care, support and treatment where possible. Capacity enhancement seminars have been carried out at
country and sub-regional levels in Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe, to mobilise
the ILO constituents and establish plans of action. A comprehensive training programme is being put in place.
Lessons learned: The code is being used as the basis of collective agreements
on HIV/AIDS, workplace policies and programmes for prevention and care. Em