RIATT: Building a Regional Response for Children and AIDS

1. An Update from the Region: Key Processes & ActivitiesSept. 2009 Noreen M Huni, RIATT Chairperson with support from Isabel de Bruin Cardoso RIATT Focal Person

2. What is RIATT? • Inter-agency partnership of regional organizations working on children and AIDS. • ESA RIATT • +/- 50 partners, including EAC, SADC, UN agencies, ICPs, civil society, research, academia.

3. Overview of presentation • Why a RIATT in ESA? • Why RIATT on Children and AIDS? • Background to establishing the RIATT in ESA. • 2008 RIATT “Getting it Right for Children” Conference & its recommendations. • 2009-10 RIATT Framework • Knowledge Management • Engagement with RECs • Engagement with global & national partners • Next steps

4. Why a RIATT on Children and AIDS in ESA? • 57% of new global infections occur in ESA • 60% of all pregnant women living with HIV • > 60% of children (0-14) born to HIV+ mothers will acquire the virus without access to health care services • 1.8 million children living with HIV • 11.4 million children have lost one or both parents to AIDS. • Over 1 million older carers of children orphaned by AIDS. • Millions more children are made vulnerable. • AIDS is a major cause of death among children younger than 5.

5. Estimates of New HIV Infections in Eastern and Southern Africa, 2007 (Source UNAIDS RST) ESA new infections, 1.5 million Global new infections, 2.7 million Rest of the world 1.2 million (43%) Eastern & Southern Africa 1.5 million (57%)

6. Priority countries for HIV Prevention: “highest, hyper & hotspots” (Source UNAIDS RST) Eritrea Aims Sustained reductions in new infections – towards 2010 & 2015 targets. Aggressive, evidence informed HIV prevention strategies developed, effectively implemented, monitored and evaluated in priority countries. Highest: > 5 countries 100k new infections • 8 countries: SA, Kenya, Moz, Tanz, Zam, Ethi, Malawi, Uganda - 1,377,160 new infections, 90% of ESA total Ethiopia Kenya • Hyper: > 15% HIV prevalence (ANC). • 7 countries: Bots, Les, Nam, SA, Swzd, Zam, Zim • BNLS account for 4% of new infections in ESA Uganda Rwanda • Hot spots – rapid increase in HIV infections • 2 countries: Angola & Ethiopia • 116,000 new infections, 7% of ESA total Tanzania Malawi Angola Zambia Mozambique Zimbabwe Namibia Madagascar Total priority countries: H+H+H 8 countries had 90% of new infections in 2007 of the ESA total Botswana Mauritius Swaziland South Africa Lesotho

7. Background to RIATT • 2006 GPF recommendation: establish regional task teams to accelerate commitments to meet 2001 UNGASS and MDGs. (Africa - 2006 Abuja Declaration). • Facilitate learning and sharing of experiences between global, regional and national levels • to identify cost-effective and contextually relevant means to advocate for universal access for children. • UNICEF mandated to host and support secretariat. • UNAIDS financially supported UNICEF ESARO to initiate inter-agency regional partnership.

8. Aim of RIATT • Build consensus around a regional response strategy for children affected by HIV & AIDS. • Bring together key stakeholders • Review progress & evidence for action needed to promote scaled up and sustained responses to children affected by HIV & AIDS. • Identify shared national priorities to be considered as regional concerns & reflected in global policy-making through the GPF & Global IATT.

9. RIATT ToR • Conveneregional actors to harmonize and coordinate with the Global IATT and Global Partners Forum. • Act as a regional platform for leveraging, advocacy and leadership. • Identify interventionsto be carried out at regional level in support of national priorities. • Promote learning and manage knowledge that stimulates a regional dialogue and provides insight for a scaled-up responsefor children. • Clarify roles amongst RIATT members in support of common regional goals identified with continental and regional institutions for accelerated implementation at country level.

10. Achievements to date • Chair & vice-chair • Steering Committee • Secretariat • Working Groups (Partners)

11. RIATT Governance Structure 2009-2010 RIATT Chair RIATT Steering Committee SECRETARIAT: RIATT Focal Person Working Group Working Group Working Group

12. RIATT 2006-2008 • Social Protection – working paper • Resource Tracking – working paper • Advocacy – high level conference • GPF Communiqué

13. 2008 RIATT “Getting it Right for Children” Conference Recommendations • Keep parents and children alive • Strengthen families as a unit of care • Increase effectiveness of services and funding • Human rights for vulnerable children

14. RIATT 2009-2010 Objective Promote learning and manage knowledge to stimulate regional dialogue and evidence based findings to inform regional and national policies and programmes in order to scale up responses to universal access for children affected by AIDS.

15. RIATT 2009-10 Framework: Activities I • Develop a knowledge management strategy (KMS) that: • promotes generation, dissemination and effective use of evidence based findings • to inform regional and national policy, planning, and programming decisions around children and AIDS (see KMS). • Build and sustain regional partnerships through: • the RIATT Partnership Meetings • active engagement in key events and processes (see KMS).

16. RIATT 2009-10 Framework: Activities II • Facilitate implementation of RIATT “Getting it Right for Children” Conference recommendations at regional and national level (see RIATT Working Groups’ Plans of Action). • Act as a technical resource to SADC and EAC in promoting scaled-up responses at the national level in support of children affected by AIDS (see RIATT Working Groups’ Plans of Action

17. RIATT Working Group:Strengthening families as a unit of care • Intergenerational issues in care giving. • Livelihoods based social protection; • DHS data indicator on care-giver.

18. RIATT Working Group:Increasing effectiveness of resources & services • Situational analysis on children to inform the development of (1) SADC minimum package of care and support and (2) conceptual framework on PSS. • Code of good-practice on child protection. • Resource tracking.

19. RIATT Working Group:Child participation & empowerment • Child participation study to inform SADC Framework on child & youth participation and leadership. • Child / early marriage. • Disaggregating data between 0-14 years. • Situational analysis on children’s vulnerabilities in Eastern Africa.

20. Knowledge Management Plan of Action • Identity priority gaps in learning needs at regional and national level. • Identify user-friendly tools to stimulate learning. • Generate and disseminate knowledge. • Assessment of effective use of knowledge.

21. RIATT Knowledge Management To generate, disseminate and ensure effective use of knowledge to influence a coordinated strategy and response to children and AIDS by: • 3 Partnership Meetings / year • Advocacy strategy • Identifying gaps in evidence & knowledge • Policy & thematic briefs (2 pagers) • Technical papers • Website – content management

22. Partnerships with RECs • SADC • Technical arm of SADC OVCY Framework & Business Plan • Technical support to SRH, development of minimum care of package, conceptual framework on PSS, development of child & youth participation framework • EAC • Communiqué with 2008 RIATT Conference • recommendations presented to TWG on HIV and AIDS for endorsement at EAC Summit, November 2009. • Proposing a 2 day meeting on Children & HIV & AIDS – Child Specific Strategy for EAC.

23. Engagement with global & national partners • Regular communication with IATT. September 9-11 2009, Washington D.C, meeting key to coordinating activities in preparation for 2010 GPF. • Monitoring implementation of RIATT recommendations and country priority actions at national level.

24. Areas Needing Attention • Maintaining & Sustaining partner motivation & participation • Post Dar national progress review meetings • Collaboration – IATT, RIATT + others for joint interventions e.g. SP mapping: harmonise and not duplicate • Funding support for the RIATT workplan • Results, results, results!

25. Next Steps • Knowledge Management assessment phase at regional & national levels • Communication strategy with RIATT country focal people. • RIATT Steering Committee and Partnership meeting November 16 – 18 2009, Johannesburg • Advocacy paper on operationalising the RIATT recommendations

26. RIATT Current Members • Save the Children USA, DfiD, Save the Children UK, IFRC, SAT, Save the Children Sweden, Hope World Wide, UNICEF ESARO, Plan International, IFPRIl. World Vision International, SAfAIDS, Plan International, N.M. Children’s Fund, Sida, AusAid, SDC, FAO, UNICEF ESARO, USAID, REPSSI, University of Pretoria, SADC, HelpAge International, VSO – RAISA, Jesuits – Zambia, University of Pretoria, SAfAIDS, & RAANGO members. ‘If you want to walk fast, walk alone; but if you want to walk far, walk with someone.’ Walk with RIATT - ESA! Thank You.