A Renewed Agenda for Action in the Fight against AIDS in Africa

	Cause for Hope in Burkina Faso AIDS Fight Consultation on the World Bank Revised Strategy on HIV/AIDS in Africa Webcasts: Part 1 | Part 2 International AIDS Conference - Toronto AIDS in Africa ACTAfrica Multi-Country HIV/AIDS Program (MAP) for Africa

Recognizing that conditions surrounding HIV/AIDS have changed dramatically since its original Africa HIV strategy in 1999, the Bank is formulating an Agenda for Action for 2007-2011, with active consultation with donors, governments, civil society and affected populations. While details of the new strategy are yet to be worked out, the new plan broadly will:

• Reaffirm the Bank’s long-term commitment to HIV/AIDS control in Africa
• Define the Bank’s role in a coordinated international program
• Plan priority interventions for the next generation of activity, based on experience
• Recommend criteria for lending where there are financing gaps, identifying non-lending activities including technical assistance and analytical work
• Mainstream HIV/AIDS programs in other sectoral projects in Africa.

At the Toronto conference, a cross-section of the HIV/AIDS community took part in the Bank consultations, including representatives from UN agencies, IMF, bilateral donors, National AIDS Councils, Persons Living with HIV/AIDS, faith-based organizations, civil society organizations, and researchers. They stressed the importance of the World Bank’s continuing involvement in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Africa, which accounts for 64 percent of all people living with HIV in the world, constitutes a special priority in the Bank’s work to contain the virus and mitigate its impact on poverty. The Bank’s Multi-Country HIV/AIDS Program (MAP) for Africa has made available nearly $1.2 billion to 29 IDA countries and four sub-regional projects. MAP performance has accelerated steadily, with more than $740 million being disbursed to date. Mobilization of civil society has been especially promising: the MAP has funded nearly 60,000 NGO, faith- and community-based subprojects, many at grassroots level.

As the Agenda for Action for 2007-2011 is refined, the Bank will continue to consult with diverse stakeholders over the next six months. A first regional consultation with civil society organizations was held in Nairobi in May 2006.