Statement Attributable to the IASC and UNAIDS - Worsening Impact of HIV-AIDS on Food Security and Human Survival in Southern Africa, 2003

AIDS kills young adults, especially women, who are the backbone of their families and communities. It leaves behind orphans in large numbers with few prospects for a healthy future. Entire communities are collapsing under the strain of caring for the ill while maintaining productive livelihoods. Problems in governance, lack of appropriate agricultural policies and pervasiveness of poverty all contribute towards compounding the effects of the severe drought.

The IASC called for a concerted effort by the affected governments, donor governments and humanitarian and development agencies to:
1. Encourage leaders to adopt policies and strategies for the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS that reach all segments of the population with particular focus on vulnerable groups, women, refugees and internally displaced persons
2. Raise awareness of the links between HIV/AIDS epidemic and famine
3. Encourage access to HIV/AIDS treatment, including anti-retroviral drugs for those infected with HIV, as feasible
4. Promote the human rights of people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS including through strategies to combat stigma and discrimination
5. Consider incentives to encourage essential personnel to work in area of HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention, including salary supplements and access to HIV transmission prevention methods and AIDS care
6. Support government policies that encourage good governance, sound agricultural approaches and equitable sustainable development