Project profile — Support to the Southern African AIDS Trust

The goal of this project is to reduce the number of HIV infections and improve care and support for women, men, girls, and boys infected with HIV and affected by HIV/AIDS in Southern Africa. Through country offices in Mozambique, Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, the Southern Africa AIDS Trust (SAT) provides grants and training to community-based organizations to help them develop and manage effective HIV prevention and AIDS treatment and support programs. The training provided by SAT includes data collection and analysis, monitoring and reporting on results, awareness-raising, advocacy, governance, and human resources management. SAT aims to help at least 120 community-based organizations in 300 communities to develop and manage programs to help at least 2.8 million people (1.7 million women) infected with HIV and affected by HIV/AIDS. The project also aims to strengthen the skills of SAT personnel at the national and regional levels, to help SAT achieve its mandate to strengthen the ability of communities to respond effectively to HIV/AIDS. The Southern African AIDS Training Program began in 1990 as a project administered by the Canadian Public Health Association. With Canada’s support, the program has since transformed into an independent African-led regional institution supported by multiple donors.

N/A

Results achieved as of May 2013 include: The Southern African AIDS Trust (SAT) has increased the ability of 208 community-based organizations and 3 regional organizations to educate communities, carry out advocacy for behaviour and policy change, collect and analyze community-level information on HIV/AIDS, and measure and monitor results. 2012-13 was the first year of the implementation of SAT’s Strategic Plan for 2012-2017. During the year, SAT recruited 61 new country partners (40 of them focused on women’s health) and 1 regional partner. All the new partners received training and developed results-based plans to increase their chance of achieving tangible and measurable results. Other results achieved during 2012-2013 include: 213 young women and men aged 15-24 helped design and deliver youth-friendly services for people affected by HIV/AIDS. Interventions designed to change behaviours, such as text messages, dramas, peer education, and radio programs, reached 6,960 youth. SAT partners reached close to 5,300 women and young girls through activities promoting sexual and reproductive health and rights and healthy choices. SAT collaborated with Malawi’s Ministry of Youth and National Youth Council to gather youth views on sexual and reproductive health and rights and many of the youth’s recommendations were integrated into a national policy and the national Youth Development Strategy. In general, SAT partners are influencing community leaders and members to discourage cultural norms and practices that reinforce gender inequality and vulnerability to HIV/AIDS, such as wife inheritance, property grabbing, child marriage, intergenerational sex, and unsafe traditional male circumcision. Across SAT’s countries of operation, 54 opinion leaders spoke publicly in support of providing inclusive non-discriminatory services to people affected by HIV/AIDS. Building the skills of community organizations has contributed to improving services that reach more than 2 million people and help to prevent HIV infections, improve access to and consistent use of treatment, and ensure adequate care and support for people living with HIV/AIDS.