The fight against AIDS in the rural world: presented in Rome as one of the challenges against which to collaborate and co-ordinate actions at all levels

To join forces in the fight against AIDS. This was the prime goal that the three agencies in Rome (FAO, WFP and IFAD), in collaboration with the Joint Programme of the United Nations on AIDS (UNAIDS), called for from 5 to 7 December at the FAO headquarters.

This was a technical consultation in which 90 participants (representatives of the agriculture ministries, experts from different organizations, United Nations agencies and NGOs) sought to establish ways to mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS on food security, rural livelihoods and rural poverty. In the 25 most affected African countries, AIDS has ended the lives of nearly seven million farmers since 1985 and it is estimated that another 16 million more could die in the next 20 years. "This demonstrates," explained Marcela Villareal, focal point in FAO for questions related to AIDS, "that this disease is not simply a health issue, because it is having devastating effects in food security in many parts of the world and has undermined the hard-earned agricultural and rural development achievements of the last 40 years." At present, some 40 million persons are afflicted with AIDS, 95% of whom live in developing countries.

The December meeting, a major step towards the collaboration at all levels to fight against AIDS in the rural areas, sought to encourage participation of the rural communities and particularly women in this struggle. The meeting pointed out that little work has been done on the role the agricultural sector can play in mitigating the impact of HIV/AIDS. The three days in Rome have also served to identify the specific areas in need of a coordinated line of action to outline the strategy to be taken in each case. Some of the starting points from which a strategic framework has begun to be developed are:

• Strengthening and adaptation of mechanisms for the intergenerational transmission of agricultural knowledge.
• Development and promotion of labour-saving technologies.
• Addressing gender issues, particularly the unequal access to land.
• Creation of awareness of the problem in rural areas.
• Strengthening of the capacity of rural institutions.
• Development of innovative investments in the rural sector.
• Exploring specifically the relation between mobility and the spread of HIV/AIDS.
• Multi-sectoral interventions and creation of synergies between the agricultural and other sectors
• Monitoring of action taken

The Thematic Groups of the countries heavily affected by the AIDS virus here have an important challenge against which to design a strategy and co-ordinated line of action. Mozambique is a good example of how working in a network can be effective in this battle. The Thematic Group on Food Security in 1999 prepared a document entitled: "Effects of HIV/AIDS in Food Security and the Rural Life System in Central Mozambique". The Republic of South Africa also has an active inter-agency group on gender issues related to AIDS.

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