Title: HIV/AIDS Mainstreaming
Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Country: Uganda

Context

Uganda was one of the first countries in sub-Saharan Africa to experience the devastating impact of HIV/AIDS. The Ministry of Health estimated that by the end of 2001, there had been more than 940,000 AIDS-related deaths in the country. According to UNAIDS, in 2005 the number of Ugandan AIDS orphans had reached 1,000,000. Although there have been some remarkable successes, in particular the lowering of infection rates to the current 6.7%, the HIV/AIDS epidemic is still a grave threat to the health of Ugandans.

The epidemic poses a great challenge for sustainable development and social progress, and its impact can be traced in every aspect of life. This is why the fight against HIV/AIDS requires a joint effort by all stakeholders in every sector. In February 2001, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) made the mainstreaming of AIDS a policy for all German development cooperation organisations, including GIZ.

Objective

Through its HIV/AIDS mainstreaming activities, GIZ Uganda is meeting its responsibilities as an employer to care for its employees. At the heart of these efforts is also the wish to ensure the long-term sustainability of all GIZ's work in the country, as the unchecked spread of HIV and AIDS is universally recognised as a major handicap to development.

Approach

The approach which GIZ Uganda has developed in response to the HIV epidemic and in answer to the call by BMZ includes aspects of both internal and external mainstreaming. The first is intended to provide HIV prevention measures as well as care and treatment for GIZ employees or members of their immediate families. External mainstreaming involves implementing effective HIV strategies through the individual projects that constitute GIZ’s main development activities in Uganda. Working in and through the separate project locations, we can help our partner institutions and a wider public to cope with the realities of HIV/AIDS.

An essential aspect of GIZ’s internal mainstreaming is the HIV Workplace Policy which, since 2004, has been at the heart of a comprehensive workplace programme. The policy ensures that the GIZ working environment is free from prejudice and discrimination about HIV/AIDS related issues, and it makes awareness raising about the disease among the employees an obligation for the company. Another core part of the policy is the implementation - in a spirit of solidarity, care and support - of a health scheme that provides for the needs of all GIZ employees living with HIV/AIDS or whose immediate family are affected by the disease. The workplace programme was developed in consultation with the GIZ National Staff Council. It includes the provision of health sessions for the staff and their families, the training of peer educators and the supply of information, education and communication materials on HIV/AIDS. A series of specific prevention and treatment procedures is available to GIZ staff, free of charge. This ranges from condom distribution in the workplace and access to counselling and testing services, to medical provisions such as post-exposure prophylaxis and antiretroviral treatment.

Results achieved so far

HIV and AIDS mainstreaming is now practised in all GIZ workplaces in Uganda. The importance and complexity of the theme of HIV/AIDS is now explicitly acknowledged. Through the external mainstreaming efforts, GIZ project staff are supporting their counterparts in the development and implementation of their own workplace programmes. Moreover, within the framework of their own specific activities, possible means are explored - and exploited - by the projects to promote HIV prevention and care, and to help mitigate the impact of the disease.

By consistently documenting and sharing its experiences and working practices, GIZ contributes much to the efforts of its immediate counterparts and partners, as well as other proponents of workplace programmes and national mainstreaming strategies. GIZ’s own programme is helping to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS and reduce its impact, which also promotes the achievement of a wider array of developmental goals.