Overview
This topic is primarily a gateway for information and links to other faith-based players that are engaged with HIV and AIDS care.
Please view links (RELATED SITES - see right hand column) and add those you know of that are tackling HIV and AIDS issues, especially if they are doing it from a faith perspective.
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Community-based organisations delivering HIV and AIDS services:
Feature from the IDS Health and Development Information team in collaboration with Eldis and the DFID Health Resource Centre (HIV and AIDS reporter, January 2009):
In many countries, community-based organisations (CBOs) often provide a significant proportion of HIV and AIDS related services and have specific expertise in supporting the needs of affected communities. In this context community-based organisations include non-governmental organisations (NGOs), faith-based organisations (FBOs) and community groups. Recognising the role of communities in the provision of health services is critical to ensuring adequate support and resources to non-public health service providers that are particularly important for reaching key populations.
The role of community based organisations in HIV and AIDS related services include:
* providing information and services
* acting as the voice of the vulnerable
* putting a human face to HIV and AIDS
* campaigning for a rights-based approach
* supporting community reliance to deal with the epidemic
* prevention, treatment and care.
CBOs have increasingly proven their ability to complement government efforts in reaching all groups in need. In the context of these trends and results, there is an urgent need to strengthen capacity building of civil society organisations (CSOs), address issues related to partnership building, and to integrate support for these efforts into funding approaches and mechanisms.
Lack of capacity is seen to be one of the main factors affecting effective community-based services. This is preventing CBOs from delivering on their potential impact on achieving the universal access goals. With capacity challenges persisting among CBOs, including inadequate human resources, systems and structural difficulties, inadequate and short term funding, and weak planning and management capacities, support to strengthen the civil society response needs to match these needs and evolve to enable scale-up.
Despite international commitments to civil society, CBOs face a range of challenges in building partnerships. Poor government capacity to coordinate and plan with multiple stakeholders, as well as resistance among donors and governments to engage with local organisations, include some of the barriers at national level. The lack of clear frameworks and guidelines that define responsibilities and guide the development of processes for engagement are preventing meaningful interaction with CBOs.
In addition, CBOs still only receive a small proportion of financial support from the Global Fund. Funding is often concentrated among large international NGOs and local organisations are less likely to be direct recipients.
Monitoring and evaluation is seen to be integral to better partnerships and involvement of CBOs in national and international programmes. Participatory approaches involving CBOs will encourage ownership, sustainable partnerships, and effective responses if those primarily concerned are involved throughout all stages of design, implementation, monitoring, evaluating, and reporting.
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Practices members have applied in their own situations
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This topic is convened by: |
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Dr Nick Henwood
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