AEGiS-14IAC: The key to the problem: community participation in the fight against HIV/AIDS - an effective, realistic and acceptable approach.

14th International AIDS Conference


Barcelona, Spain - July 7-12, 2002

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The key to the problem: community participation in the fight against HIV/AIDS - an effective, realistic and acceptable approach.

Int Conf AIDS 2002 Jul 7-12; 14:(abstract no. LbPeG9057)

Niyongabo C
Save the Children, UK, Gitega, Burundi

ISSUES: For a long time, the response to HIV/AIDS in Burundi has been centralised and sector-specific. However the HIV/AIDS problem in Burundi is a result of a combination of socio-cultural factors including taboos surrounding sex and sexuality, high illiteracy rates and other socio-cultural factors which cannot be addressed through a centralised approach that has been shown to be ineffective, expensive and non-sustainable

DESCRIPTION: Save the Children, UK, is working with the communities of Gitega and Mwaro to combat the HIV epidemic. Our approach is based on a decentralised response in, for, and by the community. Using the Stepping Stones methodology SCUK has trained community peer leaders to animate and facilitate community responses to HIV/AIDS allowing communities to analyse their situation and propose realistic and acceptable solutions that take into account the socio-cultural aspects of their community. This participatory, community based approach benefits from a deep knowledge of socio-cultural aspects of the community to bring about results including: Adopting responsible sexual behaviours Breaking downs taboos around sex and sexuality Increasing use of condoms Increasing accessibility and availability of condoms through peer group distribution posts Engaging community organisations in the fight against HIV/AIDS Provide care and support for children affected by HIV/AIDS Mobilising young people to develop Stop AIDS clubs

ISSUES: Community participation in the fight against HIV/AIDS is an effective approach. It is efficient, acceptable, realistic and gives sustainable results.

RECOMMENDATIONS: The fight against HIV/AIDS must rely on community actions. It is at the community level that our fight against AIDS will be won or lost.

Keywords: AEGIS, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, HIV Infections, HIV Seropositivity, Consumer Participation, Sex Behavior, Condoms, Organizations, Peer Group, Taboo, Burundi, ChildKWDaegis,acquiredimmunodeficiencysyndrome,hivinfections,hivseropositivity,consumerparticipation,sexbehavior,condoms,organizations,peergroup,taboo,burundi,child

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LbPeG9057

Copyright © 2002 - International AIDS Society (IAS). Reproduction of this abstract (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the IAS.