KAMPALA, February 6, 2008 — The Horn of Africa is no stranger to conflict and displacement of populations. Whether the long-term disruptions in Somalia and Sudan, tensions between Eritrea and Ethiopia, and internal crisis in other Horn of Africa member states, these fragile situations often amplify the threat of HIV/AIDS, especially among refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs) and cross-border and mobile populations.
However, some good news is coming out of the region. In the words of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, “The IGAD [Intergovernmental Authority on Development] member states are uniting to fight a common adversary ‘AIDS,’ that does not recognize country borders, race or color.”
President Museveni announced this good news on January 25, 2008 while launching the first regional HIV/AIDS program in the Horn of Africa in Kampala. The US$15-million, four-year IGAD Regional HIV/AIDS Partnership Program (IRAPP) Support Project is expected to strengthen regional collaboration in addressing HIV/AIDS and address the impact of the epidemic among refugees, internally displaced persons, and cross-border and mobile populations in the seven member states: Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan and Uganda.
IGAD member states delegates at the IRAPP launch in Kampala
IRAPP is financed by the World Bank-administered Africa Catalytic Growth Fund (ACGF), and is the very first project to be approved and become effective under this new trust fund. The funds are intended to leverage additional resources from other partners, in order to ensure a sustainable program that addresses target groups often not addressed through national AIDS programs.
In a speech read for him by Uganda’s State Minister for Ethics and Integrity Dr. James Nsaba-Buturo, President Museveni urged member states to leverage their political support and commitment to ensure that HIV/AIDS issues are addressed in their respective countries.
“We have learned in Uganda that one of the main drivers of success [in fighting HIV/AIDS] is political commitment and support…. I am sure that my colleagues in the other IGAD countries support me 100 percent on this matter.”
“Our resolve to eradicate AIDS today is the ultimate vision that will see our countries prosper,” he added. “And future generations will judge [us] harshly if we fail.”
In his remarks at the opening ceremony, Gerard Byam, the World Bank Africa Region’s director for Operational Quality and Knowledge Services said the IRAPP was a testament to the hard work and ownership displayed by the member countries during the preparation of the innovative and complex initiative.
“The IRAPP Support Project was prepared in close collaboration between the IGAD Member States and the IGAD Secretariat, supported by UNAIDS, UNHCR, World Bank and other development partners,” he said. “This is an excellent example of what can be achieved through a participatory partnership with a common goal of addressing cross-border and regional challenges of HIV/AIDS.”
The World Bank’s Manager for the AIDS Campaign Team for Africa (ACTafrica) Elizabeth Laura Lule said the IRAPP Support Project is a catalyst to a regional integration program addressing a regional public good and establishing a long term partnership and collaboration between IGAD member countries and development partners.
It is a great opportunity to reduce vulnerabilities of refugees and displaced persons and improve availability of HIV/AIDS and health services, she said.
The IRAPP Support Project has two interrelated development objectives. They are to:
Increase preventative action, and reduce vulnerabilities of cross border and mobile populations, IDPs, returnees, refugees and surrounding host communities concerning HIV/AIDS transmission and scale up prevention, treatment and mitigation in selected sites in the IGAD member states; and
Establish a common and sustainable regional approach to supporting these populations in the IGAD member states.
The Project will have three components:
Support to refugees, IDPs, returnees and surrounding host communities;
Cross-border collaboration on the health sector response to HIV/AIDS; and
Project management, coordination, capacity building and monitoring and evaluation.
The World Bank’s Africa Action Plan (AAP) aims to continue addressing HIV/AIDS in Africa, building on the experience of the Multi-Country HIV/AIDS Program (MAP). In November 2007, the Bank’s Board of Directors approved the Africa HIV/AIDS Agenda for Action 2007-2011 (AFA).
The AFA affirms the Bank’s recommitments to support countries in Africa addressing the economic and social impact of HIV/AIDS, with a focus on:
Scaling up evidence-based approaches
Providing support to community initiatives
Strengthening M&E systems to measure results and better understand the drivers of the epidemic, and to support the most vulnerable and at-risk groups, including supporting regional and cross boarder interventions.
The Africa Action Plan also supports regional integration and cooperation, which is a means to increase economic opportunities and accelerate economic growth and reduce human vulnerability.
While efforts at the national levels are critical for overcoming the impediments to development, the Bank, along with the participant countries and other development partners, believes that these efforts are inadequate in inducing the required growth to achieve most of the MDGs. By taking joint action on shared concerns and regional public goods, countries can better address complex development goals such as reducing poverty and improving development. The World Bank’s support to IGAD and the member states is well linked with the Bank’s strategies and priorities.
A critical aspect of the project is that it adds value to the efforts at the national level, and will not duplicate programs supported through other resources. In addition, the IRAPP Support Project will build on and strengthen the national policies and programs in targeting refugees, IDPs, returnees and cross-border and mobile populations.
The project’s Task Team Leader Frode Davanger emphasized that the Project will be fully integrated and coordinated through national HIV/AIDS responses, and that this approach will be in-line with the Three Ones principles:
One agreed AIDS action framework/strategy;
One National AIDS Coordinating Authority; and
One agreed country-level monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system.
Furthermore, according to Davanger, the success of the overall program will depend on the continued country ownership and leadership, as well as ensuring that responses are integrated into the national strategies and responses, and that a long-term strategic plan, is aligned with a comprehensive resource mobilization strategy.
RSS