Enhanced Service Provision for Economic Strengthening in HIV and AIDS-impacted Communities

This technical note explores the range of services that HIV and AIDS-affected communities require for effective economic strengthening by microfinance and enterprise development (MED) programs. Challenges that people infected or affected by HIV and AIDS face include:

• Social challenges such as breakdown in social structures and networks, stigma and ostracism, gender impacts, psycho-social difficulties;
• Health challenges such as inadequate knowledge about HIV/AIDS, need for coping strategies and support, access to anti-retroviral therapy, poor nutrition and food security;
• Economic challenges such as reduced financial resources, limited income-generation skills, economic discrimination.

MED programs and partner institutions could help through formation of community support groups, HIV and AIDS education and awareness building, gender training, psycho-social interventions, access to anti-retro viral therapy, health promotion campaigns, home-based care and training, nutritional support and training, provision of microfinance and business development services, enterprise development and income diversification, advocacy, policy and enforcement. Finally, the paper presents a list of decision questions and analysis points to help MED programs determine the additional services needed by HIV/AIDS-impacted clients, and identify the best way to provide or facilitate access to those services.