AIDS Special Report - Africa Facts

Email | Print | Share

CARE fights AIDS in Africa

aids info center

More than 30 million people in Africa are living with HIV/AIDS. Every day, 5,000 Africans die of AIDS; another 11,000 are infected with HIV; and some 6,000 children are orphaned. As such, Africa is a main focus for CARE's programs to combat the disease. From the urban sprawl of Addis Ababa to the shores of Lake Victoria, from the mining communities of Ghana to the mountains of Lesotho, CARE oversees HIV/AIDS programs in the following African countries: Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe.

Note: Program coordinators are available for press interviews. Please contact Rick Perera in Atlanta (rperera@care.org and 404-979-9453) or Lynn Heinisch in Johannesburg (heinisch@care.org and +27 11 234 1221). (heinisch@care.org and 404-979-9453).

Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, Senegal | Eritrea | Ethiopia | Ghana | Kenya
Lesotho/South Africa | Mozambique | Niger | Rwanda | Sierra Leone | Somalia
Sudan | Tanzania | Uganda | Zambia | Zimbabwe

Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, Senegal
In partnership with local organizations, CARE has developed Rail Link, a regional HIV/AIDS initiative aimed at mobile populations such as transportation workers, passengers, migrant laborers, apprentices and commercial sex workers, with special attention paid to youth. The program will work to promote rights to sexual health and encourage responsible behavior; it also will make essential reproductive health services (e.g., condoms, diagnosis and treatment of sexually transmitted infections) readily available to the community.

Eritrea
The Adolescent Reproductive Health Activities project will build on a previous reproductive heath project and is one component of a larger proposed project to address HIV/AIDS, Gender and STI awareness among youth in Eritrea.

Ethiopia
The goal of the Family Planning and HIV/AIDS Prevention project is to foster a supportive and enabling environment, in both communities and the health care system, for persons living with HIV/AIDS and those affected; to decrease the prevalence of behaviors that place people at high risk for HIV infection; to increase knowledge and use of family planning services; and to improve access to all methods contraceptives.

Ghana
CARE aims to reduce the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS among approximately 120,000 high-risk miners and mine industry workers in the Wassa West District. In collaboration with mining companies and local organizations, CARE trains male and female peer leaders to conduct educational STD/AIDS talks and supervises village-based condom distribution agents. CARE works with the Ministry of Health to support training in STD treatment and counseling, with a special focus on women. Additionally, the ARCH project works to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS, contribute to household health security and improve family planning.

Kenya
The TANG' project aims to reinforce safer sexual behavior among adolescents. TANG' employs theater groups and peer educators to raise awareness and stimulate debate to encourage community members to re-think their approach toward issues regarding sexuality and relationships. CARE works in other districts of western Kenya to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS by training community members and community-based condom distributors. The Community Initiatives for Child Survival project promotes voluntary counseling and testing for those at risk of contracting HIV/AIDS and supports home-based care for people with AIDS.

Lesotho/South Africa
Operating along the border between Lesotho and South Africa, CARE's SHARP! (Sexual Health And Rights Promotion) program works to promote and protect the well being of households affected by HIV/AIDS. The project works with people and organizations providing services to vulnerable groups (e.g., police, nurses and other clinic staff, and traditional healers). In addition, CARE is developing community resource centers along the border that will facilitate training and address other community needs. Components of the private sector coalition against AIDS in Lesotho include condom distribution, advocacy and training.

Mozambique
With the HIV/AIDS and Adolescents project and the AIDS Prevention and Positive Living project, CARE is promoting information sharing and education, building the capacity of local organizations and advocating for policies that protect those affected by HIV/AIDS.

Niger
Three projects active in Niger, AIDS and Migrants, Espoir, and SIDA en Exode, focus on mobile populations and commercial sex workers. In addition to focusing on education and prevention along the transit routes, these projects work with migrants at their destination in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. The projects provide information, education and access to condoms, and establish community structures to support people living with AIDS.

Rwanda
In Rwanda, CARE is helping to advocate for the rights of children, especially orphans. In addition, CARE is assisting in the decentralization of the counseling services to the level of district hospitals by training more than 200 counselors. The REACH project will scale-up CARE's efforts over the next three years to strengthen the skills of partners and expand efforts to provide care and support, specifically community support and referrals for services for orphans and people living with AIDS.

Sierra Leone
The Youth Reproductive Health project includes information, education and communication components; condom distribution; training; psychosocial support programs; community education on gender-based violence; and establishment of social safety nets for survivors of gender-based violence.

Somalia
CARE's Integrated Reproductive Health project incorporates information, education and communication about HIV/AIDS and case management of sexually transmitted infections.

Sudan
Our work in southern Sudan focuses on community-based primary health care. We are working to strengthen the capacity of local organizations to treat sexually transmitted infections and educate their constituents about HIV/AIDS.

Tanzania
In Tanzania, CARE works in partnership with the local government and other organizations to increase use of maternal health services and family planning methods, and to help prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases like AIDS. The Voluntary Sector Health project aims to improve the health of poor households in targeted regions through enhanced programming in HIV/AIDS prevention and reproductive, maternal and child health.

Uganda
The collaborative Hope for African Children Initiative (HACI) will provide orphans and vulnerable children and families affect by HIV/AIDS with care, support and protection through strengthened program mechanisms and implementation by local and national organizations and public-private partnerships.

Zambia
The SCOPE - OVC (Orphans and Vulnerable Children) initiative strives to mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS by building the capacity building of local organizations and communities to help orphans and vulnerable children. Through training and grants to these groups, CARE is expanding the services and support available to HIV/AIDS-affected households.

Zimbabwe
The SIMBA project strengthens and sustains the capacity of households affected by HIV/AIDs to increase income, economic security and employment opportunities.

Back to AIDS Info Center Home