Zambia

The Problem

There are estimated to be 1 million people living with HIV in Zambia (1). Great progress has been made in the country and 68% of people with advanced HIV are receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) and mother-to-child transmission has been reduced to 6.8%. Despite this, there are still issues to address:

• Young women are four times more likely to be infected with HIV than young men (2).
• HIV prevalence among MSM in Zambia is estimated at double that of the general population.
• Over 600,000 children have lost a mother or father to AIDS (3).

Our Response

EJAF’s has added value to the Government’s ART scale up in Zambia by funding programmes that enhance treatment ; supporting people living with HIV (PLWH) to develop innovative ways of generating adequate income for their families and helped secure food, shelter, healthcare and education for vulnerable children, many orphaned as a result of HIV.

Our Strategy

EJAF’s recent approach in Zambia is to fund programmes of work that strengthen local or national provision and can be scaled up to address issues:

Scaling up response to the needs of orphans and vulnerable children 

Programmes that address the multiple needs of children, including access to healthcare and education, adequate nutrition, shelter and emotional support.

 

Addressing the needs of women 

Strategic programmes that aim to decrease the vulnerability of women and girls to HIV and to mitigate its impact on them. These include:

 

• Providing integrated services that include sexual reproductive health, HIV testing/treatment and prevention of mother-to-child transmission.
• Legal/human rights programmes that empower women infected, affected and at risk of HIV to make informed choices and protect themselves. 
• Providing high impact food security and income generation programmes.

 

HIV/AIDS Treatment and Care

Programmes that work on the expansion of ART services, palliative and home-based care.

Organisations/networks of People Living with HIV (PLWH)

Programmes which empower PLWH to play a key role in the development of services, improve their quality of life and exercise self-determination.

 

Programmes for men who have sex with men (MSM)

Programmes providing information, treatment, psychosocial support, and legal advice to MSM so they are able to make informed choices regarding HIV, access treatment, and exercise their rights.

1. UNAIDS 2009

2. The State of The World’s Children pg 42, UNICEF (2008).

3. UNAIDS 2009