National response to disability and HIV in Eastern and Southern Africa
Despite the significant intersection between HIV and disability, people with disabilities have been largely ignored within national responses to HIV and AIDS, and existing HIV prevention, treatment, care and support programmes generally fail to meet their specific needs. Recent research shows that less than half the National Strategic Plans (NSPs) in Eastern and Southern Africa recognize disability as an issue of concern, or recognize the vulnerability of people with disabilities, in their national response to HIV and AIDS. This policy brief highlights three major areas of focus to ensure the comprehensive integration of disability within a country’s response to HIV and AIDS. Firstly, people with disabilities should be included at all levels within the national structures and framework responding to HIV and AIDS, including the levels of design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation. Secondly, the rights and specific needs of people with disabilities should be integrated within the national response to HIV and AIDS, to ensure that they are protected and provided for as a vulnerable group. Lastly, monitoring and evaluation on disability, HIV and AIDS should be integrated in order inform evidence-based national responses to HIV and AIDS. Recommendations for government and advocacy opportunities for civil society are also included. Using suggestions from the World Survey on HIV/AIDS and Disability, the following categories of adaptions can be seen as a way forward: adaptions that require no extra resources; adaptions that require few resources; and finally, adaptions that need substantial resources and long term planning.
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