Marseille 2007
| Abstract #193 - The Joint Learning Initiative on Children and HIV/AIDS | ||||
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Session: 29.6: Lessons learned for tomorrow's strategies (Parallel) on Tuesday @ 11.00-12.30 in Auditorium/Overflow Chaired by Lisa Power, Yves Souteyrand Authors: Presenting Author: Prof Linda Richter - Human Sciences Research Organization, South Africa |
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| Additional Authors: | ||||
| Aim: The proposed presentation looks at the challenges associated with addressing childrens needs in the context of HIV/AIDS and describes an innovative effort to mobilize scientific knowledge and political will in this area. | ||||
| Method / Issue: Our point of departure is the realization that the world is failing its obligations towards children affected by HIV/AIDS. Assistance to and protection of orphaned and vulnerable children are falling short of need and expectation, and missing opportunities also to strengthen prevention efforts. An August 2006 Lancet editorial asked: After 25 years of AIDS, why are children still largely ignored? The Joint Learning Initiative on Children and HIV/AIDS (JLICA) represents an effort to accelerate responses to this challenge. | ||||
| Results / Comments: Launched in October 2006, JLICA is an international alliance of practitioners, scholars and policymakers committed to protect and fulfil the rights of children affected by HIV/AIDS by mobilizing the scientific evidence base and producing actionable recommendations for policy and practice. JLICA draws lessons from the Joint Learning Initiative on Human Resources for Health, whose 2005 report has galvanized international response to the global health workforce crisis. JLICAs Founding Partners include the Bernard van Leer Foundation, Franois Xavier Bagnoud International and UNICEF. JLICAs scientific and technical work is conducted by four thematic Learning Groups: The group Strengthening Families is chaired by Linda Richter (Human Sciences Research Council, South Africa) and Angela Wakhweya (Family Health International, USA). They will analyze variations in family response to the pandemic and develop evidence-based recommendations for programming to support families as childrens primary source of care and protection. Community response, led by Geoff Foster (Family AIDS Caring Trust, Zimbabwe) and Madhu Deshmukh (Care International, USA), will compile evidence on the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of different community-based services for affected children and propose models for how government can support community-based initiatives without undermining local agency. Access to services and human rights, co-chaired by Jim Kim (Francois-Xavier Bagnoud Center, Harvard University, USA) and Lydia Mungherera (TASO, Uganda), will marshal evidence on strategies to overcome bottlenecks in implementing essential health and social services for children in low-income, high-burden settings. Social and economic policies, led by Alex de Waal (Social Science Research Council, USA) and Masuma Mamdani (REPOA, Tanzania), will examine options at the level of social policy, including how universal access to AIDS treatment can be combined with integrated health and welfare programs to address other dimensions of childrens well-being. They will also cost out the policy and programming recommendations of the other Learning Groupsand project the economic and social costs of inaction. JLICA will issue expedited reports and policy briefs over the coming year and release a final report to coincide with the IAS conference in Mexico City (August 2008). | ||||
| Discussion: JLICA is in its early stages, but aims to catalyze significant changes in discourse and practice on children and HIV/AIDS over its lifespan. The Initiative aims to strengthen an emerging global movement on behalf of children affected by HIV/AIDS and invites collaboration and engagement from all those concerned by this cause. | ||||
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