Building effective partnerships between communities and governments.
Int Conf AIDS 1994 Aug 7-12; 10:48 (abstract no. PS25) Altman D; School of Politics, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Australia.
This presentation argues that the social, economic and political requirements to effectively deal with HIV/AIDS demand meaningful partnership between a wide range of national and international players, of whom the pivotal are community/non-governmental organisations and governments. The difficulty is to make such partnerships meaningful, given the disparities of resources and legitimacy available to the different parts of such a partnership. An examination of successes and failures in both developed and developing countries will help determine what factors are critical in ensuring what factors are critical in ensuring that there is optimum mobilisation including the empowerment of those most affected. There is a need to question the meaning of the term "community" and its relevance to different cultural and epidemiological situations. A meaningful partnership must also involve other key players, such a healthy professionals, international agencies, carers, business and education. Within and between these sectors there will be critical divisions, which need be addressed. Genuine partnership requires a recognition of legitimate differences as well as the creation of common goals and programs. Responses to HIV/AIDS have become a model of international and intranational policy making, which have implications for large areas of development, health and social policy/ Getting our responses right has large implications for our ability to deal with other crises of modernity.
Keywords: AEGIS, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, Health Services Needs and Demand, Developing Countries, HIV Infections, Commerce, Policy Making, ICA10 940807
PS25
