The Joint Learning Initiative on Children and HIV/AIDS (JLICA): An Overview

1. The Joint Learning Initiative on Children and HIV/AIDS (JLICA): An Overview April 2007 Presented on behalf of the JLICA IATT on Children and HIV/AIDS Washington DC Dr. Angela M. Wakhweya

2. JLICA Goals • Protect and fulfill the rights of children affected by HIV/AIDS by mobilizing the evidencebase and producing actionable recommendations for policy and practice.

3. JLICA Goals • Assemble, analyse and interpret evidence to address implementation gaps to ensure universal access to health, education ad social protection

4. Objectives • Expand space for new thinking • Mobilize and generate evidence • Facilitate linkages • Advance action

5. Universal access • JLICA works toward universal access to essential services for children, families and communities affected by HIV/AIDS. • For JLICA, ‘universal access’ means that children affected by HIV/AIDS receive effective services in: • Health care • Education • Social protection

6. It’s more than “OVC” • All children in high-prevalence settings affected • Paradigm shift: • From AIDS to poverty • From individual traits to social determinants • Comprehensive welfare strategies needed

7. What JLICA will deliver • Evidence for advocacy (in order to convince) • Evidence for policy and program design (in order to guide) • Evidence for implementation (in order to demonstrate) • Evidence for costs (in order to decide)

8. Work Streams • Research and analysis to consolidate the evidence base and formulate recommendations; • Partnership-building to open space for innovation and problem-solving oriented to stakeholders’ real needs; • Communication and advocacy to accelerate action; • Effective project management to support the previous three functions

9. Partnership constituencies • Multilateral organizations • Foundations and donor agencies • National policymakers • International NGOs • National and local NGOs, FBOs and CBOs • Program managers and implementers • Actors from outside HIV/AIDS work • Within international, regional and national frameworks

10. What makes JLICA different? • Implementation focus • Interdisciplinary • Networked with major actors, but independent • Time-limited, results-oriented

11. Structure and areas of work RESEARCH & ANALYSIS COMMUNICATIONS, ADVOCACY & MANAGEMENT Steering Committee: Initiative Co-Chairs, Founders, LG co-chairs partners Learning Group 1 Strengthening Families Learning Group 2 Supporting Communities SECRETARIATFXB Center for Health & Human Rights Learning Group 3 Access to services and Protecting human rights Learning Group 4 Improving Socio-economic Policies

12. LG 1: Strengthening families • Evidence on family and household changes in response to HIV/AIDS • Strengths and weaknesses of existing programs for affected families • Best ways to combine government and non-governmental family services • Review work on economic strengthening for HIV/AIDS-affected families – including cash transfers

13. LG 2: Community and civil society • Best practice studies on optimizing the work of faith-based organizations • Supporting children and youth to be ‘part of the solution’ • Community-based management information systems • Identifying best practices for external support (state, donors) to community-based groups

14. LG 3: Access to services and human rights • Practitioner Learning Collaborative for PMTCT scale-up in Rwanda (with GoR) • Implementation of wrap-around services, with health care as entry point • Linking PMTCT+ and Early Child Developmentinterventions • Implementation case studies on family and community services (with LGs 1 and 2)

15. LG 4: Social and economic policies • Assess the determinants of adverse outcomes in children affected by HIV/AIDS through analysis of large data sets • Compile national-level data on social and economic policies and programs, undertake 3 in-depth country case studies • Cost the response to affected children • Investigate the determinants of effective policymaking

16. Unifying themes • Using social welfare programs to protect children affected by HIV/AIDS • HIV prevention among children and youth • Integrating HIV/AIDS policies into national health & development frameworks • Tackling implementation gaps • Special focus on Early Child Development • Coordinating with key stakeholders to examine what is working

17. JLICA milestones • Oct 2006: launch • Fall 2007: “Fast-track” research results and publications • Sept 2007: JLICA hosts International Symposium on action for children affected by HIV/AIDS, Harvard University • Aug 2008: CCABA seminar and JLICA scientific session: XVII International Aids Conference, Mexico City • Dec 2008: JLICA final report

18. Relationship with the IATT • Participation across IATT Working Groups and JLICA Learning Groups • Joint support and engagement in specific groups e.g. social protection, community • Potential MOU between the IATT and the JLICA to be discussed at the Implementers Meeting in Rwanda

19. The Joint Learning Initiative on Children and HIV/AIDS Visit our web-site: www.jlica.org Thank you for your attention.