HIV and AIDS

Children clap at a morning assembly at a UNICEF-supported school in Mbabane, Swaziland.

The Children and AIDS Regional Initiative (CARI) was launched in 2006 as part of a five-year collaboration to mitigate the impact of HIV in southern Africa – and to develop social protection systems in the region by focusing on vulnerable children and those affected by HIV and AIDS.

See sidebars at right for a series of detailed analytical reports produced by CARI.

Scroll down to watch UNICEF videos on HIV, children and young people in southern Africa.

The governments of the United Kingdom and Australia supported CARI through the Department for International Development (DFID) and the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID). DFID supported six CARI programmes in HIV hyper-endemic countries (South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Swaziland and Namibia) plus one with relatively lower rates but rapidly rising ‘hot spots’ (Angola). The three AusAID-supported CARI programmes also worked in high HIV-prevalence countries, linked to chronic food and economic insecurity.

All nine CARI countries contend with issues of pervasive social and economic inequality, extensive migration and human development challenges. The current global economic crisis has exacerbated these challenges. At the same time, the CARI programmes have provided a valuable regional analysis of the impact of HIV on child poverty, and on national capacities to deliver social development and a broader response to chronic poverty.

UNICEF videos

The following videos highlight HIV and AIDS programmes in several of the CARI countries.

Teen centres in Botswana

UNICEF's Eva Gilliam reports on teen centres for adolescents living with HIV in Botswana.

Early childhood education in Malawi

UNICEF's Victor Chinyama reports on early childhood education centres in Malawi.

Preventing mother-to-child transmission in Lesotho

UNICEF's Shantha Bloemen reports on a campaign in Lesotho to help expectant mothers living with HIV avoid transmitting the infection to their children.

Young peer leaders in Lesotho

UNICEF's Suzanne Beukes reports on community-based youth initiatives to raise HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention among adolescents in Lesotho.

Mothers 2 Mothers

UNICEF reports on Mothers 2 Mothers, a peer-support programme that aims to empower HIV-positive pregnant women with guidance and assistance on eliminating new HIV infections in infants and children.

Involving Namibian men in HIV prevention

UNICEF's Suzanne Beukes reports on a campaign to involve men in reducing the prevalence of HIV in Namibia.

HIV testing in In Mozambique

UNICEF reports on efforts in Mozambique to encourage mothers to know their HIV status early, in order to prevent new HIV infections in infants and children.

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CARI reports: Regional

All reports downloadable as PDFs.

Lessons from CARI: Child- and HIV-sensitive social protection in Eastern and Southern Africa

Documentation of child- and HIV-sensitive social protection

Building a Gender Response: Findings and recommendations from reviews of HIV programmes in Southern Africa

Building a Gender Response (with annexes)

Learning to look beyond AIDS through an AIDS programme

CARI reports: Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Tanzania

Botswana Teen Club: When HIV and adolescence collide, a teen club teaches courage

Lesotho: Child Helpline saves the lives of Basotho children

Malawi Early Childhood Development: Communities making a difference through volunteer care