About Us
Established in 1994, SAfAIDS is a regional non-profit organisation based in Pretoria, South Africa with two other country offices in Lusaka Zambia and Harare, Zimbabwe. With support from local partners, SAfAIDS currently implements its programmes in Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe. SAfAIDS' core activities include capacity development for other HIV and AIDS Intermediary Organisations (IOs), information production, collection and dissemination, networking and building partnerships and leadership in promoting dialogue on cutting- edge issues related to HIV and AIDS.
Mission
The organisation's mission is to promote effective and ethical development responses to the epidemic and its impact through HIV and AIDS knowledge management, capacity development, advocacy, policy analysis and documentation.
Vision
SAfAIDS strives to be a leading southern Africa regional centre of excellence, organising, analysing, repackaging and disseminating HIV and AIDS information in response to the needs of communities.
Values
The following values and principles guide SAfAIDS work:
- Professionalism
- Striving for excellence at all times
- Dedication and commitment
- Justice and Equity
- Respect for diversity and human rights
Guiding Principles
- Promote understanding, analysis and focus on the critical impact of HIV and AIDS as a development issue rather than simply as a health issue. This recognises that the issues and impact of HIV and AIDS on people's lives is beyond health and encompasses other areas of their development and daily lives.
- Disseminate information that is effective in promoting changes in knowledge, practice and behaviour of individuals and communities using an evidence-based approach taking into account lessons and best practices. This means carefully selecting and targeting information that will directly impact people's behaviours. Understanding that it is through sustained behaviour change that people will reduce their vulnerabilities to HIV and AIDS
- Promote the use of multi-sectoral and multi-faceted regional responses and interventions to the epidemic. This is aimed at recognising the critical role of all sectors in building an effective response to the epidemic and should be aligned to the national responses of the countries in which SAfAIDS work.
- Influence key agencies to mainstream HIV and AIDS and gender related issues into their development work. The principle acknowledges that the majority of people infected are women and that the relationships between men and women are integral to the development of an effective response to the epidemic
- Promote the meaningful involvement of people living with HIV and AIDS (PLHIV) in SAfAIDS work in the region. This is an acknowledgement of the fact that people living with HIV and AIDS are an important stakeholder and partner in responding to the epidemic. Therefore PLHIV should be given opportunities to contribute not just as beneficiaries but as equal partners that can participate meaningfully in the design and implementation of HIV and AIDS responses
