CAFOD has been working together with partner organisations to respond to HIV and AIDS for over 30 years. From the early days CAFOD established a leading role as a faith based organisation in the global response, linking in with local, national and international actors. Significant progress has been made worldwide, but today HIV and AIDS remain far from over. Millions of people do not know they are HIV positive, many cannot access lifesaving treatment and stigma and discrimination still pose significant barriers to seeing an end to AIDS.
This timeline gives a snapshot of the response and how it evolved over time.
1984+ Work in these early days focuses on supporting a growing
number of sick and dying people through counselling and basic
medical and palliative care. There are increasing numbers of
orphans in communities and stigma is a huge challenge.
1995+ This period sees effective treatment becoming available
– but it is too expensive for many countries and individuals to
afford it. CAFOD continues to develops its holistic approach (care
and support, prevention and advocacy) and share learning with,
and learn from, partners and external HIV networks.
2005+ Treatment is increasingly available. Stigma remains a massive
challenge. CAFOD focuses on the broader quality of life, as HIV is not just a
medical issue. There is an increased focus on working with those people most
affected by, and vulnerable to, HIV. HIV is being integrated into other development
themes although there is still often a need for a stand alone response.
1986 CAFOD is one of
the founding members of the
UK Consortium on AIDS and
International Development
(now STOP AIDS)
1986 HIV is
made a priority
development
concern for CAFOD
1987 CAFOD
becomes the Caritas
Internationalis (CI) HIV
Liaison Agency, playing a
key role in mobilising the
worldwide federation to
respond to HIV & AIDS
1989 CAFOD
convenes the first
of many theological
consultations to
discuss the ethical and
moral issues raised by
HIV
1993 CAFOD’s
first HIV in the
Workplace policy
is developed in
recognition of the
impact HIV could
have on staff and
their families
2004 CAFOD
shares its newly
articulated
approach to
understanding of
HIV prevention at
the International
AIDS Conference in
Bangkok and in an
article in the Tablet
2008 St Francis
community care
programme in Zambia
shifts its programme
focus from ‘facilitating
dying with dignity’ to
support for ART adherence
and income generating
activities. CAFOD produces
reports on these kinds
of programme changes:
‘Impact of Increased
Availability to ART,
and ‘Adherence to
Antiretrovirals (ARVs)’
2008 CAFOD’s HIV
mainstreaming toolkit
is presented at the
International AIDS
Conference in Mexico.
CAFOD looks at how to
address HIV & AIDS in
all development and
humanitarian programmes
1986 Human
Immunodeficiency
Virus (HIV) is
named
2001 UN General
Assembly Special
Session on HIV/AIDS
(UNGASS) Declaration
of Commitment
establishes ambitious
goals for HIV
treatment, prevention
and care
2011 A study, HPTN
052, shows early
initiation of ART could
reduce HIV transmission
to HIV-negative partners
by up to 96%: ‘Treatment
as Prevention’
2003 The World Health
Organisation’s (WHO) ‘3 x 5’
initiative is an ambitious global
target to drastically increase
the number of people on ART
in low and middle income
countries to 3 million by 2005
1984+ CAFOD staff
visiting Uganda report
increasing levels of sickness
in communities and amongst
partner staff
1987+ Increasing numbers of CAFOD partners
start working on HIV. Kitovu Mobile AIDS
Organisation is one of the pioneers of home based
care in Uganda. Projeto Esperança in Brazil
provides counselling and information services,
an orphan support programme and a hospice
1998 CAFOD leads a
review, ‘Safely through the
Night’, looking at behaviour
change in Malawi, Tanzania,
Zambia and Zimbabwe. It
recommends that CAFOD
takes a more holistic
approach to HIV prevention
1999 A Comic Relief
supported exchange project
between partners in West Africa
and Zambia (WAZAM) shares
learning on the importance of
the involvement of people
living with HIV and of
community participation
2012+ Wide variety
of work by partners eg ACIN
in Colombia working on HIV
prevention with young people
in indigenous communities,
Nsambya Home Care in
Uganda working to provide
‘moonlight’ HIV testing
with sex workers, and the
Lighthouse Trust working
in Malawi with prisoners
living with HIV
2010+ CAFOD
works with the Global
Network of People
Living with HIV (GNP+),
national PLHIV networks
and partners to pilot
the Stigma Reduction
Initiative in Kenya,
Zambia and Ethiopia.
Partners work with
leaders of different faiths
to reduce stigma in their
communities
KEY
Partner focused work CAFOD focused work CAFOD resources & publications Global progress
2016 Kitovu
Mobile AIDS
Organisation
strengthen
health systems in
Uganda
2010+ CAFOD works with partners in
Cambodia and around the world to develop the
Batteries Tool for assessing changes in quality of life
for PLHIV, and the Care and Support & Prevention
Mapping Tools to assess a holistic response to HIV
1995 Highly Active
Antiretroviral Treatment
(HAART) is approved by
the US Food and Drug
Administration
1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017