The objective of the Advocacy for Policy Development component of PHAMSA is to advocate for regional, national and sectoral policies that contribute to the reduction of HIV incidence and impact of AIDS among migrant and mobile workers and their families in southern Africa.

The intended outcomes are threefold:

• To increase the awareness among policy makers (key SADC Secretarial officials, national policy makers, UN partners, employers and trade unions) on the importance of addressing the HIV dynamics of labour migration in the region;
• To strengthen the capacity among policy makers in addressing the HIV dynamics of labour migration in the region; and
• To facilitate a conducive environment for policy development addressing the HIV dynamics of labour migration in the region.

Sector Guidelines and Country Briefing Notes

Regional Guidelines on HIV in the Commercial Agriculture, Construction and Cross Border Trade  have been developed to encourage key players to adopt policies that help reduce the risk environment of migrant workers.

Country Briefing Notes were developed for ten Southern African countries to provide an overall picture of labour migration patterns in the respective countries, present the main sectors employing migrant and mobile workers, and highlight the particular vulnerabilities to HIV of these workers. Existing plans and policies related to HIV and migration were highlighted and recommendations made on how the respective countries may better fulfil its international commitments to migrants and mobile populations.

Advocacy Information Materials
Information materials utilising various media tools are produced and disseminated to highlight and increase awareness on the issues and consequences of labour migration, including HIV and other human rights vulnerabilities labour migrants and their families face, as well as the positive economic and social contributions migrants may make to both their home and destination communities.
Some examples of such information materials include the following:

• A Better Life than Me: Migrants' Stories from Southern Africa – Autobiographical digital stories of eight men and women from southern African countries that highlight the issues and consequences of labour migration.
• Back and Forth: Documentary Photography of Informal Cross Border Traders in Southern Africa – The photography project focuses on informal cross border traders’ socio-economic living and working conditions, particularly the factors of vulnerability, such as gender inequality, poor living and working conditions, separation from families, exploitation and discrimination, lack of access to health and other services.
• The Journey Comic stories: The Journey is a series of short comic stories that capture “moments” in the lives of characters modelled on real migrant workers in South Africa and the host communities which whom they interact, as well as a number of informational pages related to migration, HIV and human rights issues. The series of comic stories features Mozambican migrant workers in the mining, commercial farming and informal trading sectors, and are envisaged to help break stereotypes and increase the reader’s understanding of migration dynamics in this region, ultimately reducing xenophobia and discriminatory practices and dispelling myths that migrants bring in communicable diseases. (hyper link to the Journey on the Publications page).  A Portuguese version of the Journey, titled A Viagem has also been produced.