Greater involvement of PLHA In NGO service delivery: Findings from a four-country study

At the conclusion of the Paris AIDS Summit in 1994, 42 governments issued a declaration supporting the greater involvement of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA) in policy formulation and service delivery. Despite growing recognition of its importance, there has been little research that examines PLHA involvement in the delivery of prevention, care, and support services in developing countries and its effects on PLHA, others affected by HIV/AIDS, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). To address this gap, the Horizons Program and the International HIV/AIDS Alliance conducted a study of PLHA involvement in NGOs in Burkina Faso, Ecuador, Maharashtra State, India, and Zambia between October 1998 and August 2001. As noted in this brief, the goal of the study was to identify the conditions that foster PLHA involvement and the strategies that organizations can use to achieve meaningful involvement of PLHA. Seventeen NGOs participated in the study, which focuses on HIV/AIDS prevention, care, and support. The NGOs chosen represent different types of organizations and a range of PLHA involvement.