Bibliography

While the concept of mainstreaming has been with us for decades, its application to the area of HIV/AIDS is more recent and represents somewhat uncharted waters. Mainstreaming, within this context, is an essential approach for expanding multi-sectoral responses to HIV/AIDS. Mainstreaming of HIV/AIDS is not an intervention per se. It constitutes a range of practical strategies for scaling up responses and addressing the developmental impacts of HIV and AIDS globally and regionally. Through mainstreaming, government sectors, NGOs, private sector entities, church organisations, etc., can both meet the needs of their own workplace environment, as well as apply their comparative advantage to support specific aspects of national HIV/AIDS responses. As with other approaches to this fast paced epidemic, understanding of mainstreaming is still evolving. This document tentatively explores the current understanding of the concept and examples of relevant experience. It provides a set of basic principles designed to enable those working at the different levels and aspects of HIV/AIDS policy and practice to begin using mainstreaming processes for expansion and acceleration of HIV/AIDS responses.