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ACORD works in the region of the world worst hit by the HIV/AIDS crisis. Recognizing that HIV/AIDS affects every aspect of development, ACORD seeks to mainstream HIV/AIDS in all its work and, at the same time, to build its capacity to develop effective HIV/AIDS interventions, as well as influencing thinking, policy and practice at all levels. This work is led and strategically coordinated by the HIV/AIDS Support and Advocacy Programme (HASAP). Established in 2002/03, HASAP has three mutually reinforcing functions: to provide technical support to ACORD area programmes, coordinate research and advocacy, and facilitate internal and external information sharing and networking with external stakeholders on the issue of HIV/AIDS.

ACORD's HIV/AIDS work is aimed at reducing the spread and mitigating the impact of HIV/AIDS, ensuring equal access to information, services and treatment and promoting understanding, acceptance and support for infected and/or affected individuals and communities.

Documentation and dissemination of Best Practices: Community-Based Approaches to HIV/AIDS Mainstreaming: ACORD began working on HIV/AIDS more than a decade ago. In order to capitalize on the considerable body of experience acquired, a key strategy adopted by HASAP was to document and disseminate these experiences, both within and outside ACORD. The first of these was the Case Study of Community-based HIV/AIDS Mainstreaming in ACORD Tanzania. The lessons from Tanzania were internally disseminated at the first ACORD pan-African HIV/AIDS workshop in 2003 and subsequently developed into practical Mainstreaming Guidelines for use by ACORD and others. The Case Study has also recently been included in the UNAIDS recommended reading list on HIV/AIDS Mainstreaming. ACORD's experiences of internal mainstreaming have also been documented and a Case Study of key lessons learned was included in a Guide for NGOs on Managing HIV/AIDS in the Workplace commissioned by the UK Consortium on AIDS and International Development and launched at the XV International Conference on HIV/AIDS in Bangkok.

 

 

Reducing Stigma and Discrimination Understanding and challenging HIV/AIDS-related stigma and discrimination is recognized as a key priority by HASAP and ACORD Area Programmes. During 2004, community-based research was carried out in Burundi and Northern Uganda and the findings and lessons were published by HASAP and copies of the publication have been distributed to over 20 countries across the globe. The research has also had an impact at the local level: in Burundi, it led to the establishment of an Observatory to promote and protect the rights of PLHAs and in Northern Uganda, a bye-law was drafted to tackle stigma and discrimination at the community level.

 

 

Integration of Gender into HIV/AIDS responses: ACORD has been examining the links between gender and HIV/AIDS since the mid-90s when a conference was organized on the subject to launch a set of Guidelines jointly produced with ActionAid and Save the Children. Currently, ACORD is focusing on testing the effectiveness of the Stepping Stones process, a participatory methodology, in 3 countries: Angola, Tanzania and Uganda. The results will be widely shared at an international conference due to take place in London in July 2006.

 

 

Promoting Equitable Access to ARVs: More recently, ACORD has initiated a multi-country programme of research aimed at providing grassroots insights into the ARV scaling up efforts of governments in the SSA region. The research will feed into advocacy aimed at promoting equitable access to ARVs and identifying key barriers currently faced in the scaling up efforts.


ACORD's working definition of HIV/AIDS mainstreaming: 

A continuum of processes for analysis of how HIV and AIDS impact on all sectors, at different times, both internally and externally, to deeming how each sector should respond based on its comparative advantages.

Current Publications

Implementing Stepping Stones

Stepping Stones is a training and education process that involves working with people over a period of 12 to 18 weeks during which time they undergo a process of group exploration and develop the ability to look critically at the societal norms and values influencing their own attitudes and behaviours. As the process moves on, they identify ways in which these attitudes and behaviours may need to be changed in order to protect themselves and others from HIV and associated risks and, to bring about more general life changes and improvements, such as improved communication with partners and children, more understanding and caring for others and increased self-respect.

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  • Good Practices (2007-10-12)

    ACORD developed and implemented a pilot project in Tanzania and Uganda, aimed at promoting the rights of PLHAs by helping multiple actors to better understand and challenge HIV and AIDS related stigma and discrimination.