Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2006. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - August 15, 2006
"With over 11 million people living with HIV, including 500,000 children, Southern Africa is the epicentre of the pandemic,"says Francoise Le Goff, Head of the International Federation's regional delegation in Harare. With adult prevalence rates now exceeding 20 % in most countries in the region, reaching more than 38 % in some areas, there is an urgent need to take the Red Cross work to a new level," she adds.
The new integrated long-term HIV/AIDS strategy focuses on prevention for vulnerable groups and support for people living with HIV. It aims to strengthen home-based care programmes built up over the last decade using the network of community-based Red Cross volunteers in southern Africa who provide support services to the chronically ill and family members. It also targets the growing number of orphans who have lost one or both parents due to AIDS. Some 225,000 children will be supported over the next five years.
"The availability of anti-retroviral therapy will change the shape of home-based care programmes from helping people to die to positive living," explains Bernard Gardiner, manager of the Global HIV/AIDS programme for the International Federation in Geneva. "Red Cross volunteers have been working door-to-door to protect human dignity in their own community. We must now scale up and support these volunteers properly to make sure the most vulnerable have access to care, prevention and support," he adds.
Other activities covered in the new programme include increasing the number of prevention campaigns aimed at high-risk groups (such as sex workers, truck drivers and out-of-school youth), more involvement in anti-stigma campaigns to raise public awareness about HIV and AIDS, strengthening the capacities of National Societies and developing operational partnerships, including with the networks of people living with HIV and UN agencies.
"A triple threat facing southern Africa has been identified," says Richard Blewitt, Acting Director of the International Federation's policy and communications division. "The HIV/AIDS pandemic, the deteriorating food security situation due to consecutive years of drought and weakened government capacities require an urgent response. With more than a decade of experience in home-based care, the Red Cross in southern Africa can play a crucial role in the fight against HIV and AIDS as we do in other parts of the continent," he adds.
A total of 10 countries in the region are covered by the programme : Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
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For further information, or to set up interviews, please contact:
In Toronto: Angela Hoyt, press officer, Canadian Red Cross, Tel: 00 1 613 222 6196
In Harare: Tapiwa Gomo, regional information officer, Tel: + 263 91 345 936
In Geneva: Jean-Luc Martinage, press officer Tel: + 00 41 79 217 33 86 Duty phone (Out of Hours), Tel: + 00 41 79 416 38 81
The Geneva-based International Federation promotes the humanitarian activities of 185 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies among vulnerable people. By coordinating international disaster relief and encouraging development support, it seeks to prevent and alleviate human suffering. The Federation, National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross together, constitute the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.
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