What’s preventing HIV prevention?: policy statement to UNAIDS

This policy statement, from the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, outlines key barriers to effective HIV prevention programming and strategies to address them. The report argues that, despite increased political commitment and funding, HIV infection rates are increasing. This is due to poor prevention leadership, as well as lack of political and institutional commitment to addressing the economic, social and gender-based disparities which contributed to the epidemic. It calls for a global HIV prevention strategy characterised by enhanced leadership, increased resources for scaling-up, and improved programming. This strategy must also refocus the prevention approach to make vulnerability reduction a priority.

The document highlights five key components for a global prevention strategy to have the required impact. Firstly, it should involve the participation of civil society, at both global and national levels, in the planning and decision making processes. Secondly, increased resources must be directed to where HIV prevention needs exist. This would involve integrating HIV prevention into broader development strategies and developing a multi-faceted approach. The remaining critical elements include: addressing vulnerability and human rights issues; focusing attention on prevention and treatment synergies; and improving the monitoring and evaluation of HIV prevention outcomes.[adapted from author]