A new report describing the response by humanitarian organisations to HIV/AIDS in the Great Lakes Region calls for greater coordination of efforts among different actors and accountability of donors and implementing agencies towards the populations they serve. The report, entitled "The response to HIV/AIDS in conflict situations: a research study into Rwanda, Burundi and Eastern DRC", was researched and written by Dr Vera Bensmann for Save the Children UK, and commissioned by the UN Children's Fund and UNAIDS. The report's first objective was to identify the reasons for slow and uncoordinated response to HIV/AIDS in emergency settings in the Great Lakes region, while the second was to identify strategies for increasing resources made available, as well as the effectiveness of their application. The report's four main recommendations call for standards for quality and minimum requirements for the response to HIV/AIDS; mechanisms to incorporate performance, quality and impact measurement into the planning stages of projects; improved accountability towards beneficiaries; and improved access to information for all stakeholders. The full report, divided into three parts, explains why the risk of HIV/AIDS transmission is high in conflict situations, what has been written about HIV/AIDS in emergencies, and what the response ought to be in terms of prevention, diagnosis, care and support. It details who is doing what in Rwanda, Burundi, and Eastern DRC, and focuses on the roles of various stakeholders and obstacles they face in obtaining an adequate coordination and planning response to HIV/AIDS in emergency settings. [For the full report, go to http://cerebellum.tiscaliweb.nl]
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