people living with HIV/AIDS

How do you know where to start ? This is the first challenge for everyone: how do you decide what to do? There are many different needs
in each country or community. There are likely to be other agencies and groups already doing some
work on similar issues. You will need to find out what needs to be done in order to protect the rights of
people living with HIV/AIDS, to reduce the impact on those who are infected and to reduce
vulnerability to infection by addressing factors that would lead to others being infected. You will also
need to find out where the biggest gaps are, and what the most important/effective/useful programmes and
activities are for your youth or student group. Of course, there is no single way to do this! There are many things
that you could do, and many different ways of doing them, all of which could be good.
Plan and carry out your work carefully, but do not wait for everything to be perfect.
Ask and learn from what has been done before, but also be ready to try new things
and to go where the hearts and minds of your group lead you.
What works best
In nearly 20 years of work on HIV issues, a lot has been learned about the type of activity that is likely to work
best. The following is a summary of some of the main lessons gained from practical experience in different parts
of the world. Although these recommendations relate mostly to HIV prevention work, the same ideas apply to
any activity that aims to change attitudes, beliefs and practices and care for those infected.
The most successful programmes:
•Σ Involve people living with HIV, and the wider community, in all stages (in planning, implementation and
evaluation)
Σ• Recognise the realities that people face in their daily lives, and take people’s own needs and interests as a
starting point (rather than, for example, starting from your own assumptions about people’s knowledge,
beliefs or attitudes)
Σ•Create open attitudes and accept how people are (rather than being critical or judgmental)
Σ•Use positive images and friendly messages (rather than being frightening or authoritarian)
Σ•Develop skills and knowledge (rather than telling people what to do)
•Σ Win support from people in positions of authority (for example teachers, doctors, religious leaders,
professional associations, government officials)
•Σ Recognise that even well planned approaches sometimes fail (and, therefore, review progress and adjust the
programme when needed)
•Σ Carry out some form of evaluation, however brief (so that the activity can be replicated or improved by the
same group or by others in the future)
Source : What Works Best?, in : AIDS Action, Issue 39, Health Link, United Kingdom, ....article by Peter Aggleton, Thomas Coram Research Unit, Institute of
Education, 27/28 Woburn Square, London WC1OAA, UK.