HIV and AIDS

What we're doing in 2008

Programme Strategies:

In collaboration with its counterparts, the HIV and AIDS Programme will support the implementation of a range of activities with the aim to reduce vulnerability to and impact of HIV and AIDS among the most at risk populations in Fiji, Tuvalu and the three priority countries with a special focus on children and women through strengthened integration of maternal and child health services and community-based initiatives. The Programme will address three key components that are critical to reduce the vulnerability to and impact of HIV among the most at risk populations:

1. Behaviour Development/Change Communication
This programme component aims to increase the capacity of those most at risk youth, women and their partners to engage in HIV-risk reduction interventions including community-based social mobilization activities, peer education, community-based counselling, mass media initiatives and behaviour development and change interventions.

2. Capacity development through training of traditional, religious, and women leaders, local government representatives, teachers and health care workers. Social sector institutions at national, sub-national and community levels will be equipped to facilitate, plan, implement and monitor participatory programmes to address HIV prevention, care and support.

3. Strengthening the health care system response to HIV.
To support governments in their efforts to ensure that all women have access to STI treatment, voluntary and confidential counselling and testing for HIV (VCCT), and that all HIV exposed/positive children, HIV positive women and their families have access to and are benefiting from quality PMTCT interventions. Advocacy for overall improvements in maternal and child health services and support for training of health care workers in the establishment of continuum of care networks will also be conducted in collaboration with strategic partners and the Health and Sanitation, Education, and Child Protection programme components.

Implementing and coordination partners:

The programme will particularly spearhead close partnership with other UN agencies and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community. In addition to this, UNICEF will contribute to a comprehensive approach to the HIV epidemic by working together with the other UN agencies in the Pacific both in Suva and Apia on the UNAIDSled joint UN programme on HIV and AIDS. It is foreseen that the HIV and AIDS programme will host the next joint UNFPA-SPC-UNICEF project on adolescent health and development. Finally the HIV programme will be implemented through strategic partnerships with Ministries of Health and Ministries/Departments of Youth in the five focus countries of this programme as well as other key Civil Society Organisations, NGOs and Faith Based Organisations (Women’s groups, Red Cross Societies, World Council of Churches).

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