Reducing Poverty through CARE South Africa-Lesotho

HIV/AIDS prevention, care and support: About this theme - click here to read about CARE's activities and initiatives:
CARE’s response to HIV and AIDS in South Africa and Lesotho is rooted in its recognition of HIV/AIDS as a development issue, and aligned with CARE’s mission of alleviating poverty and realizing rights. Lesotho and South Africa both face significant challenges in terms of HIV/AIDS and it is the single greatest factor that will contribute to the growth of vulnerability of the poor in the foreseeable future. Gender inequities, mobility and poverty underpin HIV/AIDS transmission in both South Africa and Lesotho. CARE's programmes focus resources and efforts on those people who are at most risk of HIV infection. They emphasise longer term capacity building of communities and service providers (civil society organisations, the private sector and government) to develop strategies appropriate for vulnerable groups in very different workplace and community contexts . CARE Lesotho-South Africa works in support of implementing national policy and strategic plans pertaining to scaling up the response to HIV/AIDS. in both countries. CARE seeks to add value through partnerships with like-minded programmes and/or organisations. to implement multi-sectoral approaches to HIV/AIDS. The goal of CARE Lesotho-South Africa’s HIV/AIDS Strategy is to increase people’s access to comprehensive services that prevent transmission, provide care and support and mitigate the impact of HIV and AIDS, and the purpose is to develop good practice models in HIV/AIDS prevention, care and support, and mitigation to inform policy and improve delivery of comprehensive services, focusing on high prevalence areas and resource poor environments. CARE Lesotho- South Africa’s Strategic Directions in responding to HIV/AIDS are:
*Strategic Direction 1:* To strengthen and scale up community based and local government prevention, care and support, and mitigation services Programming examples a) develop the institutional and technical capacity of civil society organisations in providing a range of community-based services b) strengthening local government structures (e.g. District AIDS Taskforces in Lesotho and HIV/AIDS councils in South Africa) to respond more effectively to HIV and AIDS c) Facilitate the scaling up of community-based services and linking these horizontally and vertically to government and the private sector. *Strategic Direction 2:* .To provide and promote HIV/AIDS workplace interventions within the private sector, government and civil society to help organizations and their employees anticipate and minimise the impacts of HIV/AIDS. Programming examples a) Provide HIV/AIDS workplace technical services within host organisations (private companies, small medium and micro-enterprises, government departments, NGOs, community based organisations) b) Develop workplace materials and strengthen networks and associations to provide HIV/AIDS workplace development support to their members c) Promote HIV/AIDS workplace policies in CARE’s partner organisations as part of mainstreaming efforts. Internally, CARE emphasises the implementation of its own HIV/AIDS Policy to build HIV/AIDS competent staff, alleviate stigma and discrimination, and promote wellness and access to treatment, care and support, within the workplace. *Strategic Direction 3:* To mainstream HIV and AIDS into all CARE’s programming to mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS on sustainable development Programming examples a) Develop strategies for mainstreaming HIV/AIDS in new project design in all sectors and ensure relevance to the causes and consequences of HIV and AIDS. b) Develop mainstreaming materials for use by peer and partner organisations. *Strategic Direction 4:* To promote reflective practice, documentation and dissemination of lessons learned and evidence-based advocacy Programming examples a) Document and disseminate good practice models in HIV/AIDS services and policies through the implementation of the CARE Communication Strategy (newsletter, e-newsletters, and website). b) Use evidence from interventions for advocacy around good practices and to inform the development and implementation of policy and legislation. c) Focus on differences within “communities”, particularly gender and age, and how socio-economic and cultural factors affect access to services Read more about CARE’s HIV/AIDS Strategy

CARE's activities and initiatives:

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