Interact Worldwide in Africa
Africa is the region hardest-hit by HIV/AIDS, and also experiences poor sexual and reproductive health & rights (SRH&R) indicators. Young people, a huge proportion of the population in Africa, have an enormous need for SRH&R and HIV/AIDS information and services, but face cultural, social, economic and legal barriers that impede their access. Poverty, gender-based violence, discriminatory laws, policies and cultural practices place women at increased risk of HIV/AIDS and poor SRH outcomes. Although with proper nutrition and treatment many HIV positive people live long healthy lives, they often experience stigma and discrimination, and denial of their rights. Interact Worldwide works with partner organisations to build their capacity to improve access to and quality of services for young people, women, people living with HIV/AIDS, orphans and children made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS, and other marginalised groups, and to empower these groups to demand and exercise their rights to these services and information.
We recognise that SRH&R and HIV/AIDS do not exist in a vacuum; it is important that responses are coordinated. With Interact Worldwide’s support, traditional family planning providers have begun to integrate broader SRH&R, including HIV/AIDS prevention, care and support, into their service mix, while HIV/AIDS service organisations and networks of people living with HIV/AIDS have begun to address the SRH&R needs of their clients. Interact Worldwide also supports our partners in establishing and strengthening referral systems with other organisations, public and private, to cover gaps.
Throughout our programming, we support partners to address the underlying root causes of poor SRH&R outcomes and HIV/AIDS, including addressing gender inequities and discrimination, through advocacy, awareness raising, and sensitisation at the community, district, national and regional levels.
