Guidelines for HIV/AIDS Interventions in Emergency Settings

This book aims to assist individuals and organisations in their efforts to address the needs of people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS in emergency situations.

The book notes that a close and positive relationship with local authorities is fundamental to the success of the response, allowing the strengthening of local capacity for the future. HIV/AIDS deepens existing vulnerabilities, undermining households, disrupting livelihoods and results in food insecurity, the book notes.

It suggested that emergency response projects give specific attention to protecting and promoting the food security of affected and at risk communities by combining food and agriculture relief intervention with food aid and nutrition education. Designed for use in emergency settings at international, national and local levels, the guidelines are applicable in any crisis regardless of whether the prevalence of HIV/AIDS is high or low.

Topics include:

• Addressing HIV/AIDS in emergency settings;
• Groups at risk: women, children, mobile populations, the rural poor;
• Supporting and protecting food security of HIV/AIDS affected and at risk households and communities;
• Establishing syndromic STI (sexually transmitted infection) treatment; and
• Providing information on HIV/AIDS prevention and care.

The book furthermore discusses that the risk of HIV transmission appears to be low in places with low HIV prevalence rates at the beginning of an emergency, andwhere populations remain isolated. "This appears to remain true even when there are high levels of risk behaviours such as rape. Sierra Leone and Angola during the conflict years typify this scenario. Examples are given from the genocide in Rwanda and in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo today."

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