HEARD’s three work categories of Research, Knowledge Advancement and Education and Systems Support commit us to the core business of accumulating scientific knowledge through regular interaction to inform and influence policy and social change.

In 2006, HEARD moved from a project- to a programme-based research agenda, based on two themed programmes due for completion in 2010:

• Systemic Interpretations of the Pandemic and Creating Sustainable Response Systems
• The Effects of the Pandemic on Vulnerability in Africa, specifically for Children, Women and Families.

These programmes seek to answer three ‘big’ questions arising from key scientific and practical concerns about development issues in the context of HIV/AIDS:

• What are the key driving forces behind the pandemic and its various impacts in Africa?
• What constitute effective responses to the pandemic?
• What does “vulnerability” mean?

At any one time, HEARD has 20 to 25 projects in progress and, increasingly, they are interlinked so as to broaden and deepen the insights gained from research. The international scope of HEARD’s work is characterised by multi-country studies, our presence on global platforms and, in southern Africa, by a regional partnership and capacity building programme.

Click here to view our Projects