[Press Kit]

28

Only by investing in
poor communities can
the AIDS challenge
be met, as AIDS
disproportionately
affects the most poor
and disadvantaged in
developing countries.

and throughout the 1990s, and more
recently countries such as South
Africa and Botswana have followed
suit. Visible and influential leadership
is essential to help societies overcome
the fear and stigma associated with
HIV infection.
This strong leadership must be
backed with resources. Only by investing in poor communities can the
AIDS challenge be met, as AIDS
disproportionately affects the most
poor and disadvantaged in developing
countries. Governments need to
spend more on these communities
but they can go a long way towards
meeting the fundamental needs of
their people by allocating existing
resources more fairly. This can be
done by channelling a higher percentage of available resources into basic
social services such as basic education,
primary health care, nutrition and
low-cost water and sanitation. Studies
have shown that investing in these
services benefits the poor more directly than investing in high-end social
services such as secondary education
or advanced health care.
Since AIDS has wide-ranging
effects on a country's education and
social welfare systems, religious
institutions, agricultural production,
private businesses and community
groups, coping with its impact
requires the cooperation of many
sectors. It is essential that policies,
technical support, information campaigns and health and social services

be coordinated among the actors.
Establishing a central and high-level
coordinator for national policies -
preferably from a powerful office such
as the Office of the President or the
Ministry of Finance - is an important
step to ensure accountability and
follow-through on commitments.
2. Bolster the capacity of families
and communities to care for and
support orphans

Families provide the best environment
for bringing up children and if
adequately supported they will be best
able to provide the care that children
orphaned by AIDS require. This
support must encompass improved
access to basic services, including
health care, safe water and sanitation,
and education, as well as assistance
with childcare. Policies need to be
designed to prevent families with
orphans from sinking into deep
poverty. These may entail support for
income-generating activities, small
business cooperatives, vocational
training and micro-credit schemes.