Community-based AIDS prevention and care in Africa: Case studies from five African countries

The Population Council carried out a three-year project entitled “Community-Based AIDS Prevention and Care in Africa: Building on Local Initiatives.” Given the constraints faced by the health care infrastructure in responding to the AIDS crisis and the limitations of traditional educational approaches in motivating people to modify their sexual behavior, in the African context community-based AIDS prevention and care of those affected are the first line of defense against the infection. This project was developed to explore efforts by organizations in Africa dealing directly with the consequences of AIDS, to understand the essential components of effective community-based efforts for AIDS prevention and care of persons living with HIV, and to determine how best to build upon these local initiatives. The project focused on five countries—Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe—selected because the AIDS pandemic has already reached serious proportions there and the Population Council has working relationships with a variety of local institutions. This report identifies the elements that make for successful projects in the hope that this information will prove helpful to other groups trying to meet a similar challenge in their own communities