Mainstreaming HIV/AIDS into International Development Cooperation

The Swiss Tropical Institute has decided in 2001 to include the fight against the global HIV/AIDS epidemic into its working objectives. The STI focuses on mainstreaming HIV/AIDS into its working areas and offers expertise and services in the field of mainstreaming. In addition, implementation and research projects in the field of HIV/AIDS control are developed.

The STI has developed institutional guidelines on HIV/AIDS in three languages (German, English and French) which include a workplace policy, security precautions for laboratory and research work and elements on mainstreaming HIV/AIDS into the international cooperation of the institute.

The Swiss Centre of International health, one of the service departments of the institute, is a major technical advisor to SDC (the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation) in the field of HIV/AIDS.

Activities of the SCIH in the field of mainstreaming HIV/AIDS include:

• Providing a resource person to the SDC workshop for South and Eastern Africa (SOSA) on mainstreaming HIV/AIDS and workplace policy in Nairobi, Kenya, 2001
• Providing technical support to SDC in elaborating the SDC AIDS Policy 2002-2007
• Providing technical support to SDC headquarter (health desk at the department for social development) in the field of HIV/AIDS and mainstreaming
• Evaluation of 10 years experience of mainstreaming HIV/AIDS into development work of SDC Nepal, June 2002
• Publication on findings of this evaluation in elaboration
• Elaboration of a training module on mainstreaming HIV/AIDS into development cooperation
• Workshop organisation on mainstreaming HIV/AIDS, MMS Symposium, November 2002
• etc.