Regional Co-ordination and Technical Co-operationThe overall objective of this component is to strengthen the institutional infrastructure supporting the implementation of HIV programmes and policies that affect or are affected by HIV dynamics of labour migration in southern Africa. To this end, IOM undertakes activities that has the following intended outcomes: · To strengthen and harmonise IOM’s HIV programmes in the SADC region and increase collaboration with IOM’s regional HIV programmes in East and West Africa; · To complement and strengthen mutual outputs of PHAMSA and regional partners and make efficient use of available resources through partnerships between PHAMSA and other regional organisations, programmes and initiatives; and · To strengthen networks coordinating the HIV response in sectors employing mobile workers. Activities include providing partners with inputs and technical assistance on the HIV dynamics of labour migration, and strengthening national and regional networks of those involved in HIV and mobility issues through workshops, meetings and study visits. IOM organises regional workshops in the different target sectors and has fostered partnerships with regional stakeholders, such as the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Soul City Institute for Health and Development Communication, World Food Programme (WFP), North Star Foundation (NSF), and the Human Rights Development Initiative (HRDI) in order to share best practices on HIV and Mobility. In 2008 IOM, together with various partners organised three successful country consultations on HIV and Mobility in Namibia, Malawi and Zambia. These consultations brought together stakeholders from Government, private sector, workers associations, NGOs and academia in order to: raise awareness, share lessons learned, identify existing gaps and challenges, facilitate networking and increased coordination, and outline the way forward for future interventions and activities.
The first country consultation was held in February 2008 in Windhoek, Namibia, in partnership with the German Organization for Technical Cooperation (GTZ), the Government of Namibia and the United Nations Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) to formulate an HIV intervention strategy for Namibia’s road transport sector, which, like most other countries in southern Africa has been greatly affected by HIV and AIDS. All stakeholders present drafted and agreed to adopt a revised country framework to improve HIV responses in the transport corridors of Namibia.
The next country consultation was held in May 2008 in Lusaka, Zambia in collaboration with UNAIDS, the Zambian Government and the National AIDS Council, to formulate an HIV intervention strategy for Zambia’s road transport sector. The meeting placed great emphasis on stakeholders to strengthen partnerships with those conducting studies on HIV in the transport sector and to share resources and information, in order to inform the mid-term review of Zambia’s National HIV/AIDS Strategic Framework (NHASF).
The country consultation in Lilongwe, Malawi, was held in September in cooperation with the Government of Malawi, UNAIDS, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The consultation was split in two meetings, one focused on HIV responses in the commercial agriculture sector of Malawi, and the other on transport corridors and cross border sites in Malawi.
The meetings identified existing gaps and challenges, before drafting and adopting a new framework for future HIV interventions. A recurring issue that came out of the country consultations was the need for increased coordination and future cooperation among relevant stakeholders working on HIV responses.
All three country consultations were part of a larger process which began with a regional workshop on the road transport sector held in Swaziland in 2007 that provided the impetus to scale-up an integrated and harmonised programme of HIV prevention, treatment, care and support by addressing the specific needs of workers in the road transport sector in Southern Africa.
Future country consultations are planned for Mozambique, South Africa and Tanzania.
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