Reaching the Target: An HIV/AIDS Information Needs Assessment

Executive summary

"This Information Needs Assessment explores how HIV/AIDS information is used by key stakeholders on the ground in five countries in Southern Africa - Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

What sort of information is required by the actors? How is it accessed? Who does it benefit? What are the common shortcomings? The assessment explores how information flows can be strengthened, and evidence-based policies, programmes and decisions can be reinforced.


The document also contains a database of regional and international HIV/AIDS information providers."

Summary of key findings

"There is a clear need for more AIDS information, education and communication (IEC) at local and country levels. Information should be produced in local languages, be culturally appropriate, easy to understand and relevant to people on the ground; it should target women, youth and children, and be made available to rural as well as urban communities.

Strategic Information (on scientific, policy and programmatic responses to the epidemic) needs to be packaged so that it is easy to understand and can be applied by all employees and volunteers in organisations. Strategic information should be evidenced-based, consistent and more country-specific.

Capacity strengthening is needed across organisations. Information and communications technology (ICT) training is particularly important, as most organisations have access to ICT but lack the necessary skills to use it optimally to inform their work. Skills in understanding and translating epidemiological and statistical data also need to be improved.

There is a general need to strengthen the ability to produce user-friendly information material for wider dissemination. Information flow and management need to be better coordinated, preferably by setting up a central distribution body responsible for coordinating and systematically disseminating HIV and AIDS information in each country.

There is a need for improved marketing by existing information providers. Many organisations have little knowledge of the wide range of information services available. Others, even if they are aware of these sources, do not seem to access them regularly, mainly because they lack the necessary ICT skills."