AIDS, Poverty Reduction and Debt Relief - A Toolkit for Mainstreaming HIV/AIDS Programmes into Development Instruments (UNAIDS, 2001, 48 p.): 2. The National AIDS Programme as a Contribution to Poverty Reduction: 2.1. Rationale

AIDS, Poverty Reduction and Debt Relief - A Toolkit for Mainstreaming HIV/AIDS Programmes into Development Instruments (UNAIDS, 2001, 48 p.)

2. The National AIDS Programme as a Contribution to Poverty Reduction

		(introduction...)
		2.1. Rationale
		2.2. What works against HIV/AIDS?2

2.1. Rationale

Despite increasing recognition of its negative impact on development, HIV/AIDS is only one of many problems that countries will address in their PRSPs and HIPC documents. With so many ministries, sectors and civil society groups competing for attention and funding in PRSPs and HIPC documents, the case for HIV/AIDS must be highly compelling: that HIV/AIDS jeopardizes poverty reduction efforts, that by fighting AIDS poverty will also be tackled, that money can be spent efficiently to reverse the epidemic and improve people’s lives. Therefore, any effort to mainstream HIV/AIDS in the development agenda must be well articulated to ensure buy-in from multiple sectors and the highest levels of government. In order to be convincing, advocates of the use of debt relief savings for HIV/AIDS need to demonstrate that an effective national HIV/AIDS programme will contribute to the fight against poverty. They must also lay out the financial case for debt relief, including how much will it cost to implement a far-reaching HIV/AIDS programme.