Aid in Action

Addressing Alcohol and HIV at the Policy and Community Levels

ROADS in leadership role linking alcohol and HIV programming

 | Thursday, March 01, 2007

 

The Regional Outreach Addressing HIV through Development Strategies (ROADS) program continues to take a regional leadership role in linking alcohol and HIV programming. In July 2006, the project partnered with the East, Central and Southern Africa (ECSA) Health Community Secretariat to conduct a rapid three-country assessment (Kenya, Rwanda, Zambia) of legal and regulatory issues related to alcohol, the impact of alcohol abuse on HIV prevention and treatment, and country-specific strategies to mitigate the impact. Researchers consulted with national AIDS programs, ministries of health, finance and commerce, medical professionals and other relevant audiences. Findings underscored the severe impact of alcohol abuse on all aspects of HIV programming as well as the disconnect between AIDS and alcohol treatment efforts. In March 2007, the ECSA Technical Experts Group, mandated to make policy recommendations to regional governments, reviewed the findings in Arusha, Tanzania and developed key resolutions. These were presented to and adopted by the health ministers. The resolutions instruct countries to establish working groups on alcohol and HIV within their multisectoral AIDS programs. ECSA is establishing a Task Force to support countries in this effort.

ROADS partners are also addressing alcohol and HIV at the community level. In Busia, Kenya, the People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA) cluster has established an Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) chapter that meets weekly to discuss substance abuse and other issues, including adherence to antiretroviral therapy. The AA chapter, comprising 20 men and women of varying ages and professions, is linked closely with local health facilities to facilitate referral to and from the group.