Member Associations

For over 30 years, the Family Life Association of Eswatini (FLAE) has provided sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services to the people of Eswatini (formally Swaziland). While family planning, antenatal, post-natal and post-abortion care form a key part of FLAE’s services, there’s a significant focus on HIV and AIDS programmes. Swaziland has some of the highest HIV and AIDS prevalence rates in the world. As a result, the prevention and management of HIV and AIDS, the provision of voluntary counselling and testing (VCT), and the prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) are central to FLAE’s work. FLAE has 15 service points, including 4 permanent clinics and 12 mobile facilities, staffed by a permanent team of 40 backed by 230 volunteers, 180 Youth Action Movement members and 29 peer educators. Young people are a particular target for HIV and SRH sensitization. One of FLAE’s youth centres has its own radio studio, where young people make their own programmes concerning SRH issues. These are then played during FLAE’s roadshows and by major radio stations for nationwide broadcast. This is one strand in an innovative approach to communication. FLAE peer educators also provide training to the country’s Business Coalition Against AIDS. Health, youth, education, women’s and regional development ministries are key partners for FLAE, and it has links with a large number of non-governmental organizations, including the Swaziland National Youth Council, Swaziland Health and Population Education, Population Services International, the Swaziland National AIDS Programme and PACT. Private sector partnerships include the Business Coalition Against HIV/AIDS and SWANNEPHA (a national network of organizations for people living with HIV and AIDS). FLAE is a member of the SRH Steering committee, the Gender Consortium and the Male Circumcision Task Force.

Gestos is a philanthropic organization founded in 1993 by sociologist Acioli Neto, journalist Alessandra Nilo, sociologist Márcia Andrade and social worker Silvia Dantas. The first project developed was supported by MISEREOR and focused on psychological care for people living with AIDS, as well as the training of information multipliers in the poorest communities of the Metropolitan Region of Recife. Since then, they have effectively contributed to guaranteeing the human rights of people living with HIV and AIDS. About 70% of the people who have sought legal support from the institution have had their rights redressed, through precautionary measures and sentences, which today are even part of the list of jurisprudence on the subject of Law and AIDS. Throughout its history, the organization has considered communication as fundamental in the fight against AIDS and has fought to expand this understanding in Pernambuco, Brazil and Latin America. This vision has consolidated Gestos as an important reference in Communication and AIDS in the country, with special emphasis on discussions on Public Policies on Health Communication. They also help to form new civil society organizations, such as the National Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (RNPVHA - 1995), the Positive Work Group - GTP+ (2000), the Group of Positive Actions (2003), the Group of Support to HIV Positive People (GASP) 2003, Acts of Citizenship (2006). From 2007 to 2011, Gestos created and coordinated the UNGASS-AIDS Forum on Sexual and Reproductive Health, where it oversaw the implementation of agreements signed at the UN in sixteen developing countries. The UNGASS-AIDS Forum has established itself as a space for political debate on issues related to HIV and AIDS and sexual and reproductive health and rights. They are also a consultative NGO at the UN, with ECOSOC status since 2017.   Instagram Twitter