The nature and intensity of the family and child welfare problems caused by HIV/AIDS and the responses needed vary among communities and countries. In any particular situation, the impacts of HIV/AIDS on children and families are the product of many, interrelated factors: the local pattern of the spread of HIV, economic activities, service availability, resources, public knowledge and awareness, the social environment, culture, the legal environment, leadership, and many others. For interventions to be effective and resources to be used well, it is essential that interventions are developed and informed by a working understanding of which factors are the most significant and how these factors relate to each other in causing or mitigating problems.
Government ministries, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), international aid organizations, religious bodies, the private sector, and community groups all have a stake in ensuring the protection and well-being of children and families. And all of these groups of organizations have roles to play in this process. If such groups/organizations are to put together a network of interventions that will make a real difference, they need to know how and where it is best to intervene. No single group/organization has the capacity to develop a response that will be both effective and of a scale that matches the problems faced. Organizations need to work together, developing a shared understanding of the situation that they are facing and making sound decisions on what actions will be most effective and what entities should carry out these actions.
Situation analysis and monitoring are essential to planning and implementing effective interventions to benefit children and families affected by HIV/AIDS. In order for interventions to produce sustainable results on a significant scale, they must be based on a comprehensive understanding of the realities that such children and families face.
©UNICEF and USAID
