Problem Facing

According to the existing data, HIV/Aids in Mozambique infects more than 700 people per day. The United Nations Development programme, works jointly with government of Mozambique to try and combat this deadly epidemic. From the root, HIV/AIDS, affects the poor, as this has become visible in the location of high prevalence. In conformity with the development priorities outlined in the PARPA and the strategic objectives of the UNDAF, the overriding objective of the second CCF (2002-2006) is to support efforts to reduce the incidence of absolute poverty in Mozambique by 30% within the first decade of the new millennium.
The HIV/AIDS epidemic in particular is emerging as a major development threat, affecting approximately 16% of the adult population. The government strategy to address the problem of widespread poverty is articulated in its Plan of Action for the Reduction of Absolute Poverty (PARPA) with a medium-term goal to reduce the incidence of absolute by 30% within a decade. The programme recognises that poverty is a multi-sectoral and multi-dimensional challenge, which requires an integrated and holistic response.
Accordingly, the PARPA embodies components of various national policies and strategies on population, food security, unemployment, HIV/AIDS and it places considerable emphasis on increasing agricultural productivity and institutional capacity building. In particular, the formulation of Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers provides an opportunity to make sure that part of debt relief saving is allocated towards HIV prevention and care; that ministries of finance and planning focus on the AIDS crisis; and that all sectors of government are involved in tackling AIDS (and given budgets to do so).

Apart from its negative economic impact, it is estimated that HIV/AIDS will, if unchecked, lower the current life expectancy from 42.5 to 35.9 years by 2010 in Mozambique.

UNDP INTERVENTION

PAST:

UNDP has been supporting Mozambique since 1989. Its first project MOZ/89/013 - "Support to the National AIDS Control Programme" implemented by the Ministry of health was due to create awareness at MISAU and Social Action Sectors as well as to support the participation of government officials to International Symposiums and Workshops/Seminars. To continue with awareness activities at all levels as well as to provide support in training additional US$300.000,00 were given through ä component in project MOZ/93/022 - "Support to the Health Sector".

PRESENT:

During the present country cooperation Framework (CCF) 1998-2001, a number of activities were carried out in the area of HIV/AIDS, both at country office and with the government, through the project MOZ/97/016. An additional project is ongoing with the support of UNAIDS to NAC. Until the year 2000 HIV/AIDS activities/projects were carried out in a coordinated manner by the National AIDS Control Programme. With the approval of the National Strategic Plan on STD's/HIV/AIDS, in February 2000 by the Council of Ministers, there is a framework that can orient/guide the stakeholder to provide a more effective and coordinated response to the fight against HIV/AIDS.
The purpose of this paper is to bring to everybody's knowledge UNDP's present contribution and vision specifically for the next direction/orientation/guidance's for the future CCF 2004-2006, with regard to the intervention in the response to the government efforts to reduce HIV/AIDS in the country.

FUTURE:

According to the UNDAF, HIV/AIDS is the key priority of the UN Development Group agencies in the period 2002-206. The UNDAF has identified HIV/AIDS as a priority and recommended an allocation of up to 25% of core resources of the UNDP agencies to this challenge. UNDP will work within the context of a UN Joint Response on HIV/AIDS designed to strengthen national and sub-national institutional capacities to implement the National HIV/AIDS Strategy and Action Plan.
The overall objectives of all interventions supported by UNDP in the context of HIV/AIDS is to contribute to the following targets of the entire UN System Response:

· Reduce HIV/AIDS prevalence in persons 15-24 years old by 25% by 2010;
· To build institutional capacity at the National Aids Council to deal with the crisis;
· To provide support to improve the quality of IEC Materials so that at least 90% of people should have access to HIV/AIDS information and services by 2005 (95% by 2010);
· Encourage measurable change in attitudes and practices concerning HIV/AIDS, including greater attention to human rights and gender concerns, reflected in government action as well as civil society responses;
· Provide adequate and equitable care to PLWHA.
· Mainstream HIV/AIDS into all programmes and projects.

Partnerships

UNDP's strategic external partners in this respect include the UN Country Team, the United Kingdom, the World Bank, UNAIDS and the UNDP Regional Project on HIV/AIDS. This strategy is linked to the Global Co-operation Framework (GCF), which supports the ability of UNDP to respond to the HIV/AIDS crisis by allowing the integration of UNDP global development thinking and advocacy with country-level practices. The GCF is also a key instrument to align UNDP's response to HIV/AIDS crisis at the global, regional and national levels and will enable UNDP to provide services to programme countries in the areas of global advocacy and analysis, knowledge-networking and sharing of best practices, and policy support services.

Mainstreaming HIV/AIDS

Linked to the preceding service, UNDP will, along with other UN agencies, provide crucial support to the government in its efforts to properly integrate HIV/AIDS priorities into the mainstream of development planning. HIV/AIDS priorities and impact analysis needs to be fully integrated into overall development plans, Medium-term Investment Frameworks, public investment programmes, annual budgets and poverty reduction strategies, as well as in debt relief processes.
This objective will be realised through the key issues of upstream and capacity building-related activities in two programme areas, Poverty Reduction and Democratic Governance. Under Poverty Reduction UNDP will support interventions that will impact poverty in a direct way such as the promotion of pro-poor macroeconomic and employment policies and strategies, the cultivation of an enabling environment for micro and small scale enterprise development and supporting strategies and initiatives that reduce the development impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Under Democratic Governance UNDP will support interventions in the area of advocacy and policy dialogue as well as capacity building.

Expected Results:

Besides the awareness nationally created, UNDP support is expected to contribute to increased national and provincial capacities for HIV/AIDS mapping and planning and implementing multi-sectoral responses to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, with the net outcome of reduction in foreseen levels of HIV/AIDS sero-prevalence rates, with particular attention to the youth and mitigation of HIV/AIDS on development efforts at national level.

Examples of interventions under this service include:

· Support for mainstreaming HIV/AIDS into the work of specific line ministries, with particular focus on gender issues.
· Dissemination of tools and checklists for mainstreaming AIDS prevention and impact mitigation, sector by sector and for gender mainstreaming in each sectoral intervention.
· Reorienting UNDAF/CCA processes to respond to the HIV/AIDS crisis.
· Advisory services and technical assistance in integrating HIV/AIDS into all development planning and resource allocation process, such as poverty reduction strategies, annual budgets, and sector development plans, information services and media;
· Policy support in maximizing the use of debt relief saving for HIV prevention and care.
· Specific advice on the integration of AIDS concerns into the government's macro-economic planning processes.
· Facilitate dialogue between the National Aids Programme and the Ministry of Finance on the impact of HIV/AIDS on economic growth, overall public revenues, public sector human resources, and the provision of basic social services.
· Capacity guideline at NAC and Provincial Aids Nucleus.

Indicators

The impact of these services will be measured by:

· Extent to which HIV/AIDS is integrated into national development plans and poverty reduction strategies, using UNAIDS guide-checklists currently under development.
· Extent to which gender analysis is used and followed by actions to mitigate impact of HIV/AIDS on women and address gender inequalities.
· Percentage of national budget (and debt relief savings in HIPC countries) devoted to HIV/AIDS prevention, care and impact mitigation, with specific targets for women's specific needs.
· Distribution of resource allocations from the national budget 
· Among line ministries, local governments, NGOs, women's groups, and community groups and extent to which HIV/AIDS is integrated into sectoral plan and budgets.

Good Experiences in the Region:

In looking at neighboring countries HIV/AIDS situation, Botswana's recent success in dealing with the epidemic, is an example to be looked into. However, in comparison with UNDP Botswana, Mozambique cannot look toward similar success occurring. The situations of Mozambique in comparison to Botswana are not the same. Unlike in Botswana, Mozambique's financial resources have been 
a critical constraint on the design and implementation of a comprehensive and coherent HIV and AIDS programme. Too, UNDP Botswana's advocacy strategy focused on key social actors such as the President, leading politicians, leaders in industry and traditional leaders with a view to turning them into informed anti HIV and AIDS campaigners and decision makers. It also targeted key institutions such as the Ministries of Finance and Development Planning, Health, Agriculture, Commerce and Industry, Local Government, Churches and traditional healers.
While this is somewhat true for Mozambique, there lacks harmonisation and urgency among the actors along with acceptance of the HIV/AIDS crisis. Illiteracy rate, sero-prevalence rate and population, are some of the factors that show comparison between programs, cannot necessarily be replicated, but be used as an example to learn from. While we can learn from Botswana, UNDP Mozambique has to find a unique solution to support the fight against the HIV/AIDS problem.

Crosscutting Principles:

Partners supported the crosscutting development principles identified by the UN System to:

· Mainstream HIV/AIDS in all activities;
· Support the most vulnerable especially the rural poor, women, children and youth;
· Mainstream gender in all activities as an essential vehicle in defining and achieving equitable development rights and expectations for all;
· Promote research and information access across sectors;
· Ensure participation of civil society to enhance the capability of individuals, families and communities to make informed decisions.

Responding to National Emergencies

HIV/AIDS: Prevention, Care, Research

· Capacity building within the National HIV/AIDS Council (NAC) to effectively develop and implement national policies and actions plans.
· Effective information, education and communication strategies to increase knowledge at the community and household level.
· Strategies for behavior change between men and women to expand women's choices and strengthen their ability to protect themselves against HIV infection.
· Effective approaches for PLWHA and orphan care.

Education: Improved access, quality, and management especially for girls:

· Improved access to education services.
· Increased participation of girls and their parents and communities.
· Mainstreaming of vulnerable children (disabled, orphans).
· Helping children and adolescents in and out-of-school affected by HIV/AIDS to learn in safe, stable environments and gain the knowledge, skills, and values needed to develop together with their peers.
· Mainstreaming life-skills curricula including HIV/AIDS.
· Minimised impact of HIV/AIDS.

Ongoing Activities

Presently UNDP is supporting the Nationals HIV/AIDS Control Programme, at MISAU, through provision of technical assistance to: support MONASO in its training activities; mainstreaming HIV/AIDS in all ongoing projects; support the creation of 14 additional Counseling Centres. It is also providing technical expertise to improve the existing materials for |Information, Education and Communication (IEC Materials) as well as printing those materials in quantities that will cover the country needs.

Maputo, 2 August 2001.