HIV/AIDS
affects people in their most productive years, and is uniquely devastating
as it increases poverty and reverses human development achievements.
The United Nations Development Programme is committed to preventing
the spread of HIV/AIDS and reducing its impact. It is one of eight
co-sponsors of UNAIDS, an innovative joint venture to ensure co-coordinated
and intensive international responses to one of the world’s
most serious development crisis. UNDP advocates for the placing
of HIV/AIDS at the center of national planning and budgets. It helps
build national capacity to manage initiatives that include people
and institutions not usually involved in public health, promotes
decentralized responses for community level action, and supports
national efforts by offering knowledge, resources and best practices
from around the world.
UNDP has supported Government’s efforts to stem the spread
of HIV/AIDS since the Mid 80’s. UNDP has been the main funder
of the Government’s HIV/AIDS prevention activities ranging
from training of health workers, sensitization campaigns, provision
of HIV test kits, and logistical support to the Department of State
for Health and Social Welfare. Further UNDP’s support focused
on blood safety, community education, capacity building, human development
and advocacy.
Between 2003 -2006, UNDP funded a three year project –Strengthening
the Response to HIV/ AIDS at the District Level. This project was
implemented by the Department of State for Health and Social Welfare
2006 and it was subsequently extended to December 2007. A follow
– up project will be implemented in 2008 to consolidate and
sustain the gains made in previous UNDP interventions in the HIV/AIDS
sector.
The
Gambia