Integrating HIV and AIDS into Emergency Preparedness and Response
Humanitarian emergencies, when combined with displacement, food insecurity and poverty, can lead to increased vulnerability to HIV infection among affected populations and disrupt vital AIDS services. HIV prevention, treatment, care and support must be addressed as early as possible in a humanitarian crisis to minimize further transmission of HIV and to ensure that people living with the virus are able to continue receiving the treatment, care and support they need. HIV has been identified as a multi-sectoral cross-cutting issue which all sectors/clusters (groups of organizations working on a specific area like health, nutrition and livelihood support, protection, water, sanitation and hygiene, education, emergency shelter, camp coordination and management, early recovery etc.) must integrate in their respective areas of work
The integration of HIV into humanitarian response, while crucial, remains a challenge in many countries and settings. To address these challenges, OCHA in partnership with the UN Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) assists UN country teams and governments integrate HIV and AIDS into humanitarian responses, both before, during and after an emergency. This is achieved mainly through integrating HIV into contingency plans and emergency relief efforts.