Building Healthier Communities: Annual Review 2010

In support of the International HIV/AIDS Alliance mission to support community action to prevent HIV infection, meet the challenges of AIDS, and build healthier communities, this booklet was published to provide an overview of the work done by the Alliance in 2010.  The review describes the aims of the organisation's strategy and responses established to meet those objectives, along with case studies providing examples of how those strategies are being put into action.

The first response, to scale up integrated programming, contains communication-related actions such as HIV programme expansion, development of strategic partnerships to provide education and programming on HIV and reproductive health, training in anti-stigma programming, and the launch of a Responsible Tourism Model in the Caribbean to help the region's tourism sector deal with the challenges of HIV.  The case study presented with this response describes, in part, the business management training provided to an HIV-positive Sudanese woman participating in an income-generating project that is part of a set of livelihood initiatives for people living with HIV.

The second response, to support community-based organisations (CBO), involves the creation of online distance-learning courses, the publication of "Good Practice Guides" on drug use and HIV and the greater involvement of people living with HIV (GIPA), and the support of CBO's implementing HIV programming.  Grant opportunities to CBO's are available, such as for the establishment of community support centres to provide psychological services, rehab referrals, HIV testing, and other services.

Helping to form engaged, inclusive societies is a response to discrimination, punitive laws, and gender violence that undermine efforts to improve access to health services and increase individual's vulnerability to HIV.  Efforts in 2010 include campaigns for HIV services, such as the What's Preventing Prevention campaign, training and support for journalists, and a call to enable legal environments for effective HIV responses.  

To facilitate learning and knowledge sharing, a number of projects were undertaken to meet the goals of creation of a learning alliance.  These included establishment of online communities of practice, learning exchanges between partner organisations, regional knowledge sharing portals for southern and eastern Africa, and workshops to develop skills and planning.  The case study cited in the document describes a 'horizontal learning exchange' between partner organisations in Peru and Mexico, on developing, managing, and evaluating Global Fund grants.  From this exchange, participants were able to learn from other's experiences successfully managing Global Fund grants and strengthening services by ensuring participation of communities at higher risk of HIV.