Soul Beat Africa

• UNAIDS STRATEGY 2016-2012 FAST-TRACK TARGETS
• YOUTH AND HIV/AIDS (TARGETS 3, 4 and 8) - prevention, access to services, and freedom from discrimination...
• KEY POPULATIONS AT HIGHER RISK (TARGET 6) - responding to the needs of truckers and sex workers...
• GENDER EQUALITY (TARGET 7) - addressing gender-based violence and engaging men...

• Target 1: TREATMENT - 90% of people (children, adolescents and adults) living with HIV know their status, 90% of people living with HIV who know their status are receiving treatment, and 90% of people on treatment have suppressed viral load. Click here for African knowledge, strategies and ideas on this theme.
  
• Target 2: CHILDREN and MOTHERS - Zero new HIV infections among children, and mothers are alive and well. Click here for African knowledge, strategies and ideas on this theme.
  
• Target 3: YOUNG PEOPLE - 90% of young people are empowered with the skills, knowledge and capability to protect themselves from HIV. Click here for African knowledge, strategies and ideas on this theme.
  
• Target 4: ACCESS - 90% of women and men, especially young people and those in high-prevalence settings, have access to HIV combination prevention and sexual and reproductive health services. Click here for African knowledge, strategies and ideas on this theme.
  
• Target 5: MALE CIRCUMCISION - 27 million additional men in high-prevalence settings are voluntarily medically circumcised, as part of integrated sexual and reproductive health services for men. Click here for African knowledge, strategies and ideas on this theme.
  
• Target 6: KEY POPULATIONS - 90% of key populations, including sex workers, men who have sex with men, people who inject drugs, transgender people and prisoners, as well as migrants, have access to HIV combination prevention services. Click here for African knowledge, strategies and ideas on this theme.
  
• Target 7: GENDER EQUALITY - 90% of women and girls live free from gender inequality and gender-based violence to mitigate the risk and impact of HIV. Click here for African knowledge, strategies and ideas on this theme.
  
• Target 8: ZERO DISCRIMINATION - 90% of people living with, at risk of and affected by HIV report no discrimination, especially in health, education and workplace settings. Click here for African knowledge, strategies and ideas on this theme.
  
• Target 9: FUNDING - Overall financial investments for the AIDS response in low- and middle-income countries reach at least US$ 30 billion, with continued increase from the current levels of domestic public sources. Click here for African knowledge, strategies and ideas on this theme.
  
• Target 10: SOCIAL PROTECTION - 75% of people living with, at risk of and affected by HIV, who are in need, benefit from HIV-sensitive social protection. Click here for African knowledge, strategies and ideas on this theme.
  

• 1. A Review of Interventions Addressing Structural Drivers of Adolescents' Sexual and Reproductive Health Vulnerability in sub-Saharan Africa: Implications for Sexual Health Programming [December, 2014] By Joyce Wamoyi, Gerry Mshana, Aika Mongi, Nyasule Neke, Saidi Kapiga, and John Changalucha Published in the Reproductive Health Journal, this article provides a review of selected interventions in sub-Saharan Africa designed to address structural drivers of adolescents' sexual and reproductive health risk and to explore pathways of influence. The review provides a narrative summary of fifteen interventions and highlights some of the lessons learned.
  
• 2. Programa Geração Biz, Mozambique: How Did this Adolescent Health Initiative Flow from a Pilot to a National Programme, and What Did It Achieve? [February, 2015]By Venkatraman Chandra-Mouli, Susannah Gibbs, Rita Badiani, Fernandes Quinhas, and Joar SvanemyrThis paper describes the inception and nationwide scale-up of Programa Geração Biz, a multicomponent initiative aimed at improving the sexual and reproductive health of adolescents in Mozambique. The researchers also analyse what helped and hindered the scale-up effort and set out the results achieved in relation to the programme, health behaviours, and health outcomes. The objective of this analysis is to inform policymakers, programme managers, and international organisations operating in Africa and elsewhere about how the scale-up of this initiative was realised.
  
• 3. m4Youth Project - EthiopiaLaunched in 2014, m4Youth is a free, menu-based SMS service designed to improve Ethiopian university students' knowledge of sexual and reproductive health and encourage healthy behaviours, including using health services. The SMS service is provided by Pathfinder through the Integrated Family Health Program, in partnership with John Snow, Inc.
  
• 4. HIV and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights: Visions, Voices, and Priorities of Young People Living With and Most Affected by HIV [February, 2015]By Luisa Orza, Tyler Crone, Alyssa Basmajian, Julie Mellin, Jacqui Stevenson, and Gillian DolceThis report shares perspectives and insights from young people from around the world living with and affected by HIV. They share their visions for realising and claiming their sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and for setting priorities for HIV and SRHR integration. The publication was produced by the Link Up project as part of discussions held to help advocate for young people to be a priority when setting development agendas.
  
• 5. Our Time To Be Heard: Stories Giving Voice to Young People and Their Experience of HIV [June, 2015]Produced by a network of citizen journalists around the world who report the HIV, health, and human rights stories affecting them and their communities, this collection of stories highlights the current challenges that young people are facing in the context of the HIV epidemic. The International HIV/AIDS Alliance commissioned the stories, which are intended to support individuals and organisations in their advocacy work, to help increase attention to the voices of young people in relation to adolescent health in the post-2015 development agenda. The focus is on helping marginalised communities influence HIV and broader health policy, programming, and financing at national and international levels.
  
• 6. HIV-Related Discrimination among Grade Six Students in Nine Southern African Countries [August, 2014]By Brendan Maughan-Brown and Nicholas Spaull This study examines stigma and discrimination of HIV-positive children by grade six students across nine countries in Southern Africa: Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Stigma can result in: bullying, victimisation, and poorer mental health outcomes among HIV-affected and infected children; disclosure-of-status decisions and school attendance; and possible delays in treatment and care for children living with HIV due to caregivers' hesitation to disclose a child's status.
  
• 7. HIV/AIDS Vulnerabilities, Discrimination, and Service Accessibility among Africa's Youth: Insights from a Multi-country Study [2014]By Babatunde Ahonsi, Nahla Tawab, Scott Geibel, Sam Kalibala, Jerry Okal, Babacar Mané, Nathi Sohaba, Julialynne Walker, and Eric GreenThis report discusses the findings of a study conducted in Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, and Uganda on HIV risk-taking and health-seeking behaviours among young people. By providing an examination of the HIV prevention and impact mitigation issues facing young people in these countries, the report seeks to uncover gaps in ongoing HIV prevention programmes for young people on the continent. Based on these findings, it recommends a number of key strategic actions for making the HIV response more relevant and effective for young people including the types of communication, advocacy, and economic empowerment interventions and operations research that are critically needed.
  
• 8. Adolescents' HIV Prevention and Treatment Literacy Toolkit for Eastern and Southern Africa [2014]This toolkit is made up of 10 publications which are designed to help young people better understand HIV and what it means in their lives. The Toolkit, also known as Young Champions (YC) Support Pack, includes resources for facilitators or Young Champions working on HIV issues, as well as workbooks for different age groups. Together, the resources are intended to support facilitators - who can be teachers, social workers, youth leaders, or health workers who have undergone training - and young people themselves and function to create more awareness about HIV, including increasing knowledge and skills related to prevention, testing, disclosing, being a young person living with HIV (YPLHIV), and treatment.
  
• 9. Parent-Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Communication Is Very Limited and Associated with Adolescent Poor Behavioral Beliefs and Subjective Norms: Evidence from a Community Based Cross-Sectional Study in Eastern Ethiopia [July, 2015]By Yadeta Dessie, Yemane Berhane, Alemayehu WorkuThis study, conducted in Harar, Eastern Ethiopia, investigates factors that limit or improve parent-adolescent sexual and reproductive health (SRH) communication. Discussed in a PLOS One journal article, this study was conducted because while there is recognition that parental communication helps protects young people from engaging in risky sexual practices, little is known about parental engagement, and how youth perceive communication with their parents.
  

• 10. Contextual Barriers, Motivations, and Coping Strategies in the Uptake of HCT and Condoms Among Truckers and Female Sex Workers in Busia Township, Busia District [2015]This study was conducted among female sex workers (FSW) and truck drivers in Busia, Uganda as part of the Communication for Healthy Communities (CHC) project, which is implemented by FHI360 and its partner, Uganda Health Marketing Group (UHMG). Using focus group discussions and follow-up in-depth interviews, the survey sought to "more closely understand the characteristics, decision-making factors, coping strategies and processes of those who adopt desirable HIV counseling and testing behaviors and use condoms, and to document any specific barriers to adoption of these desirable behaviors." The findings are meant to inform behaviour change communication interventions being implemented by the CHC project.
  
• 11. Long Distance Truck Drivers and HIV/AIDS in Uganda: Synthesis of Information and Evidence to Inform the Response [October, 2014]This report discusses findings from a study by the HIV/AIDS Knowledge Management and Communication Capacity (KMCC) initiative to synthesise information and better understand the situation of HIV/AIDS among long-distance truck drivers as a key most-at-risk population (MARP), in order to inform responses. Based on a literature review, interviews with practitioners, and discussion with drivers, the study concluded that there is a need to upscale HIV prevention efforts designed specifically for long-distance truck drivers, their assistants, and sexual partners.
  
• 12. Sex Workers and HIV/AIDS in Uganda: Synthesis of Information and Evidence to Inform the Response [October, 2014]Published by the KMCC initiative, this report discusses findings from a study to synthesise existing research to better understand HIV/AIDS prevention and care among sex workers in Uganda and inform the National HIV/AIDS multi-sectoral response. The study findings point to a need to upscale HIV prevention efforts designed specifically for people involved in various kinds of transactional sex.
  
• 13. Sex Workers and Sex Work in South Africa: A Guide for Journalists and Writers [December, 2014]By Nomonde Nyembe, Rachel Zacharias, Ayesha Krige, Marlise Richter Lesego Tlhwale, and Mateenah HunterThis guide was produced to help journalists and writers to report on sex work in South Africa in a respectful and sensitive way. It sets out basic facts about the sex work industry and contains sections on appropriate terminology, use of images, and respectful interviewing techniques. Produced by Sonke Gender Justice, the Sex Workers Education and Advocacy Taskforce, Sisonke Sex Workers Movement, and the Women's Legal Centre, the publication discusses how the illegal status of sex work in South Africa means that sex workers have little legal protection and are criminalised and stigmatised.
  

• HIV/AIDS theme site

• Health Communication theme site
• Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights theme site

• 14. Effectiveness of an Integrated Intimate Partner Violence and HIV Prevention Intervention in Rakai, Uganda: Analysis of an Intervention in an Existing Cluster Randomised Cohort [2015] By Jennifer Wagman, Ronald H Gray, Jacquelyn Campbell, Marie Thoma Anthony Ndyanabo, Joseph Ssekasanvu, Fred Nalugoda, Joseph Kagaayi Gertrude Nakigozi, David Serwadda, and Heena Brahmbhatt Published in the Lancet Global Health journal, this article discusses the potential effectiveness of combining interventions to prevent intimate partner violence (IPV) with HIV services, as a strategy to reduce incidences of both. The article is based on a study conducted that measured the effects of exposure to the Safe Homes and Respect for Everyone [SHARE] Project in Rakai, Uganda, which sought to reduce physical and sexual IPV and HIV incidence through social mobilisation, behaviour change, and counselling activities.
  
• 15. Increasing Male Engagement in HIV Prevention in Côte d'Ivoire [August, 2014] By Alan Greig This project brief discusses the experience of EngenderHealth's RESPOND Project in Côte d'Ivoire, which is working to challenge gender inequalities and transform harmful norms of masculinity that hinder HIV/AIDS prevention and care. According to the brief, significant challenges still remain, but the strategic approach of the RESPOND project and the Men as Partners (MAP) methodology, which combines male engagement through group education and community sensitisation, offers a positive model for change.
  
• 16. Gender Matters: Overcoming Gender-Related Barriers to Prevent New HIV Infections among Children and Keep Their Mothers Alive [October, 2014] This Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) document presents evidence that timely and continued access to antiretroviral medicines would reduce new infections in children and give HIV-infected women access to HIV treatment and care for their own health and well-being. This involves overcoming key gender-related barriers which prevent women from accessing the services they need. They include women's lack of autonomy; mistrust of health services, particularly due to a lack of cultural sensitivity and confidentiality among health-service providers; and fear of stigma and related abuse.
  
• 17. Findings from the SASA! Study: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial To Assess the Impact of a Community Mobilization Intervention To Prevent Violence Against Women and Reduce HIV risk in Kampala, Uganda [June, 2014]By Tanya Abramsky, Karen Devries, Ligia Kiss, Janet Nakuti, Nambusi Kyegombe, Elizabeth Starmann, Bonnie Cundill, Leilani Francisco, Dan Kaye, Tina Musuya, Lori Michau, Charlotte WattsRecognising that intimate partner violence is an independent risk factor for HIV infection, researchers in this SASA! study sought to assess the community-level impact of SASA!, a community mobilisation intervention to prevent violence and reduce HIV-risk behaviours.