Minister for Women, Children and Persons with Disabilities, Noluthando Mayende-Sibiya, will attend the launch of the final report of the Joint Learning Initiative on Children and HIV/AIDS (JLICA) study.

Dr Olive Shisana, CEO of the HSRC together with Professor Linda Richter, executive director of the Child, Youth, Family and Social Development (CYFSD) research programme at the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), will host the Minister of the newly-created Department of Women, Youth, Children and People with Disabilities, Ms Noluthando Mayende-Sibiya, at the South African launch of the final report of the Joint Learning Initiative on Children and HIV/AIDS (JLICA). The function will take place at the HSRC, 134 Pretorius Street on Tuesday, 11 August 2009 from 16:30-18:00.

The main focus of the two-year initiative, was a knowledge collaboration within an independent, interdisciplinary network of researchers, policy makers, practitioners, community leaders, activists and people living with AIDS. The aim was to generate a new agenda for children affected by HIV and AIDS. Primarily, JLICA addressed its recommendations to the role of government in supporting families to provide care and protect children.

The four key strategies identified to deliver better results for children affected by HIV/AIDS are:

    •    Providing support for children to and through their families;
    •    Strengthening community support for families;
    •    Promoting national social protection systems to address family poverty;
    •    Delivering integrated, family-centred services through health,education and social welfare.

More information is available at:

    •     http://www.jlica.org/ and
    •    www.hsrc.ac.za/JLICA-81.phtml

The JLICA findings show that unless governments and their partners address the underlying issues of family poverty and gender inequality, large-scale AIDS programmes in severely affected countries will continue to fall far short of what is needed and of what could be achieved.

A number of advocates of children’s issues, senior government officials and foreign embassy officials, as well as AIDS and poverty champions are expected to attend.

Contact:

Ms Mbali Mkhize

Director: Corporate Communications, HSRC 

cell 072 894 1497

tel +27 (0)12 202 2021

e-mail mmkhize@hsrc.ac.za