HIV prevention

The International HIV/AIDS Alliance (the Alliance) believes that a comprehensive and integrated approach that addresses the underlying causes of people’s vulnerability and risk to HIV is the most effective way to minimise HIV transmission. We support HIV prevention programmes that take this approach.

Our programmes consist of activities, services and commodities that promote and support the involvement of young people, people living with HIV, marginalised groups, men and women. These programmes promote:

  • safe behaviours
  • community participation
  • harm reduction programmes for drug users
  • vulnerability reduction measures for affected groups and communities
  • the distribution and promotion of male and female condoms and lubricants
  • voluntary counselling and testing
  • access to treatment for opportunistic infections and antiretroviral treatment
  • access to high quality sexually transmitted infections diagnosis and treatment services
  • interpersonal communication strategies that promote knowledge, positive attitudes and life-skills
  • development of focused information, education and communications materials and
  • the promotion of policies which create enabling environments for safe and healthy sexual expression.

The Alliance provides continuing training and other technical support to country and regional programmes.

Our prevention work

The Alliance supports communities to play an effective role in the fight against the epidemic in developing countries with both low and high rates of HIV.

Experience has shown that vulnerability and therefore risk to HIV is multifaceted and includes such dimensions as culture, social and economic situation, age, gender, sexual behaviour, sexual orientation and drug use. In the light of this, the Alliance supports prevention programmes that respond to the changing dynamics of the epidemic and targeted at those most vulnerable to HIV in their context. Our work includes supporting existing groups, networks and organisations, and establishing new ones that ensure the inclusion and involvement of key populations in the design, implementation and evaluation of HIV prevention, care and support programmes.

In lower prevalence countries, particularly in Latin America, East-Asia and Eastern Europe, the Alliance’s work supports prevention programmes focusing on relevant members of key population groups. The targeted groups vary in different settings, but are often identified as all or some of the following: male, female and transgender sex workers; men who have sex with men; intravenous drug users; and people living with HIV.

For example, we support focused prevention work with intravenous drug users in Ukraine, and with sex workers in Ukraine, Cambodia, Thailand, India, Ecuador, Mozambique and Madagascar.

In higher prevalence settings, the Alliance supports targeted prevention work and develops a more integrated prevention approach. In countries such as Mozambique and Nigeria, for example, the Alliance supports partners to integrate prevention activities and services through local community structures, with the involvement of young people, with care initiatives that reach people living with HIV, and through sexual and reproductive health services. At the same time, we support focused prevention work there with sex workers and truck drivers.

In rural Zambia, intergenerational sex (in and out of marriage), including the sale of sex and sexual abuse, are key drivers of the epidemic. Our work here aims to empower young people and promote rights and responsibility in older people. Sexuality, gender and economic factors are also addressed.