Africa labours under the strain of the largest HIV epidemic in the world, with infection rates in several countries reaching above 30 per cent of the general population, disproportionately concentrated in the Sub-Saharan region.
In some areas the epidemic is stabilising, in others it is stagnating, but only in very few areas are infection rates going down. It is this sustained high prevalence that poses significant challenges to Africa. These challenges not only arise from the high infection rate amongst the general population, but also the pattern of infection.
Women, especially young girls between 15-24, carry a disproportionately high burden, both from infection and from the responsibility of caring for others.
The stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS also acts as a powerful barrier to accessing prevention, treatment and care. Recognising the severity of the epidemic, the Japan Trust Fund for HIV/AIDS (JTF) was established in 2000 within IPPF to support HIV prevention programmes in its Member Associations in Asia and Africa.
It is funded entirely by the Government of Japan, and during this time has made funding available to support 43 projects in twenty three countries across the Africa region.
The JTF focuses on three broad themes: integrating prevention with care and support; working with vulnerable groups; and targeting young people.
The projects funded by JTF vary enormously in scope and content, and are driven both by the requirements of each country and the sub-regional variations in the epidemic. It is this diversity in approach that makes joint IPPF and JTF projects so successful and relevant to the specific needs of people in Africa.
A specific area in which the JTF programme responds is in bridging the gap between information and services. The JTF programme not only provides information for behaviour change, but also links information with services, ensuring the most vulnerable populations can access a wide range of HIV prevention and care services.
A central focus of the JTF programme is to reach those people most vulnerable to HIV infection, in particular young women and girls, young people who are out of school and people living with HIV/ AIDS. There are many barriers that inhibit access to services, including societal views, legal barriers or factors such as being unable to afford transport that would allow them to access services.
This bridging of the gap between vulnerable populations and the services and information needed to prevent infection and access care is essential to controlling the epidemic in Africa.