Applying lessons learned to scaling up
Over the past 20 years, research and practice have generated an impressive body of knowledge about how to respond effectively to HIV/AIDS. While learning will continue, we must harness the current momentum. We must use what we already know to guide the allocation of resources and develop and sustain responses of sufficient scale to affect the dynamics of the epidemic (see section on Scaling up). We must concentrate our resources where they will make the most difference in slowing the spread of the epidemic and meeting the needs of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) and affected communities. This requires HIV-specific responses and the integration of HIV within broader health programming, including sexual and reproductive health. It also requires HIV to be mainstreamed within development and humanitarian programming to address the underlying causes of vulnerability to HIV infection and the complex consequences of HIV.
The diverse range of NGOs now responding to HIV/AIDS - including development, humanitarian, sexual and reproductive health and human rights, as well as specialist HIV/AIDS NGOs - have a wealth of expertise and capacity that must be effectively tapped, resourced and coordinated in order to bring to scale the range of responses needed to have an effect on the course of the pandemic. This Code draws on the knowledge and experience gained over the past 20 years, documenting evidence-informed good practice principles to strengthen the work of the many different types of NGO now involved in the response.