the causes and effects of HIV and AIDS as they relate

What mainstreaming
means
UNAIDS, the World Bank and UNDP (2005a,b) have
found that one of the biggest barriers to mainstreaming
is that the concept itself is poorly understood by
stakeholders, including by development cooperation
agencies.
Therefore it may be useful to give a brief overview of
three different defi nitions of mainstreaming to get a
sense of what mainstreaming involves:
A common feature in each of these defi nitions is
the proposed starting point for mainstreaming as a
comprehensive, in-depth examination of the
sector(s) as a whole. The defi nitions also highlight that
mainstreaming is a process of integrating HIV and AIDS
throughout the functioning of an organization or sector
rather than a goal in itself. In this process, the sector is not
passive, but can have an impact on how the epidemic
develops and how it impacts on the sector in the future
through an active and well conceptualised response.
Finally, the second and third defi nitions emphasise the
importance of looking both at internal and external
dimensions of mainstreaming, i.e. at how the sector
itself is affected and at what the sector can do to address
HIV and AIDS.
Defi nition 1: “Mainstreaming is a process that enables
development actors to address the causes and effects of HIV
and AIDS as they relate to their mandate in an effective and
sustained manner, both through their usual work and through
their workplace.” (UNAIDS, the World Bank and UNDP 2005a)
Defi nition 2: “Mainstreaming is the process of analysing how
HIV and AIDS impacts on all sectors now and in the future,
both internally and externally, to determine how each sector
should respond based on its comparative advantage.” (SIDA,
2005)
Defi nition 3: “Mainstreaming HIV and AIDS means all sectors
determining:
How the spread of HIV is caused or contributed to by
their sector;
How the epidemic is likely to affect their sector’s goals,
objectives and programmes; and,
Where their sector has comparative advantage to respond
to limit the spread of HIV and to mitigate its impact.”
(University of KwaZulu Natal, HIV/AIDS and Economics
Research Division (HEARD), Mobile Task Team on the
Impact of HIV/AIDS on Education (MTT), 2005).
WHAT HIV AND AIDS MAINSTREAMING
IS NOT
To gain a better understanding of what HIV and AIDS
mainstreaming is, it may be helpful to think about what it is
not. The following are some examples:
It is NOT simply providing support for a health ministry’s
programme.
It is NOT trying to take over specialist health-related
functions.
It is NOT adding on a few selective, additional functions
and responsibilities (instead it is reviewing the core
business of a sector from a different perspective and
refocusing it).
It is NOT business as usual – some things must change.
Source: Smart (2002)