Key Challenges and Needs

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Session 3

• Key Challenges and Needs

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Session 3The Challenges in Implementing HIV/AIDS
Interventions in Emergency Settings

• Purpose
• To identify specific HIV/AIDS-related problems
  that apply in different emergency scenarios.
• To discuss HIV/AIDS as a key issue in the
  workplace for responding personnel
• To discuss the key challenges and needs related
  to HIV/AIDS in emergency situations.

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Group Activity (50 min) What are the challenges
in implementing HIV/AIDS interventions in
different emergency situations?

• Read your groups specific emergency scenario.
• Drawing on your experiences, identify the likely
  HIV/AIDS-related challenges in this situation.
• Write each challenge on a separate card.
• Cluster together cards with similar problems, and
  stick the card-clusters on flip chart(s).
• Stick chart(s) on wall for a gallery walk

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Reducing HIV/AIDS in emergency settings challenge
s and practical problems

• Collapsed/inadequate health and public services.
• Limited financial, social economic resources.
• Heavy HIV/AIDS patient caseload and lack of
  information on infection levels.
• Special needs of vulnerable groups affected by
  conflict.
• Institutional and human resource constraints.

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Health and public services collapse or are
inadequate

• HIV/AIDS as emergency
• HIV/AIDS in emergency
• HIV/AIDS as emergency
• in emergency

High HIV infection rates and related infections
overwhelm existing services
In conflicts, infrastructure is destroyed/services
collapse
Public services are doubly overwhelmed by
HIV/AIDS and additional demands
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Financial, social economic resources
arestretched, depleted and constrained
Household/community resources deplete,
especially in recurrent or protracted
emergencies
Limited public service capacity constrains
rapid up-scaling of response
International aid is geared to alleviate
immediate crisis rather than to sustained
developmental support
Break-down in authority disrupts established
social order especially in complex emergencies
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Heavy HIV/AIDS patient caseload and lack of info
on infection levels.

• HIV/AIDS as emergency
• HIV/AIDS in emergency

HIV/AIDS-related illnesses dominate
hospitals/clinics. Reduced nos. health workers
HIV infection rates are often unknown in
displaced pops and their host communities
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Special needs of vulnerable groups in conflict

Remote/inaccessible locations Ongoing
hostilities/unsafe conditions Lack of safe
road/air access
Constrain access of humanitarian workers to
those most at-risk
Increased risk of abuse and exploitation,
particularly of women and children
Increase exposure of women and children to
HIV/AIDS
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Institutional and Human Resource Constraints

• Humanitarian assistance funding parameters
  often do not link to long-term HIV/AIDS reduction
  programmes.
• Response to humanitarian assistance appeals
  biased in favour of food rather than non-food
  needs.
• Attrition and death of skilled and support
  personnel constrain continuity/human resource
  capacity building.

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Institutional and Human Resource Constraints

• Humanitarian assistance funding parameters
  often do not link to long-term HIV/AIDS reduction
  programmes.
• Response to humanitarian assistance appeals
  biased in favour of food rather than non-food
  needs.
• Attrition and death of skilled and support
  personnel constrain continuity/human resource
  capacity building.

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Summary Key Points
HIV/AIDS is now viewed as both an emergency
priority and a multisectoral responsibility.
AIDS demands that we do business
differently Not only do we need to do more and
do it better, We must transform our personal
and institutional responses
Peter Piot, Executive Director of UNAIDS