Positive Action – a global programme of support for communities affected by HIV and AIDS
Positive Action has funded hundreds of projects since 1992. Just a handful of these have enabled
- 8,000 community and healthcare workers to be trained in East Africa
- 45,000 community, science and medical delegates to interact through the international AIDS conference Global Villages in Mexico City, Toronto and Bangkok
- 40 clinics and their patients in Kenya work in partnership to improve ARV provision
- Four HIV clinics in China improve patient follow-up from 70 per cent to more than 99 per cent
- 8,500 healthcare professionals in 173 countries to have access to HIV and AIDS training toolkits
- 100 policemen in central Mexico to receive human rights training
- A sustainable HIV prevention project to reach 500,000 women and 2.5 million family members in rural India
Watch the Introduction to Positive Action video
Map of Positive Action funded programmes
Why do we need Positive Action?
The world has been confronting HIV and AIDS for over 25 years. In that time AIDS has taken over 20 million lives and another 33 million people are living with HIV today.
We understand how HIV transmission can be prevented and antiretroviral (ARV) treatments have dramatically extended life for some. But there is still no cure, no vaccine and no short cut to accessing effective healthcare for the millions affected by HIV who live with poverty, stigma and little care or support.
Knowing that HIV is transmitted by sexual intercourse, sharing needles and from mother to baby is not enough in itself to guarantee the changes in behaviour that can protect people from infection.
We know that we must do a better job at preventing HIV in children. That's why we have announced a new “Positive Action for Children” Fund which we will support with up to £50 million over 10 years. This Fund will be for NGOs and others who work to prevent mother-to-child-transmission and who work with orphans and vulnerable children.
Nor does the growing availability of ARV drugs around the world mean that everyone who needs it will come forward for treatment, that they can afford blood tests or good nutrition, or that they understand these drugs must be taken at the right time every day for the rest of their lives to avoid dangerous drug resistance.
HIV and AIDS are social issues as well as medical challenges. Some of the earliest HIV programmes were mobilised by the communities affected. The leadership and involvement of community-based organisations remain critical to successful HIV prevention, care and treatment. They engage affected and vulnerable people, provide essential services, and tackle the stigma and discrimination that inevitably accompany so many aspects of this epidemic.
Established in 1992 by Glaxo Wellcome, Positive Action is now the focus of ViiV Healthcare's support for this vital community work. We have typically worked with a number of partners to deliver sustainable projects at a grass-roots level.
Recent and current projects are profiled under "Our programmes".
The projects reflect the variety of needs and challenges of communities around the world: Positive Action prioritises work that is run by or with communities, that is innovative or may prove valuable to others, or that reaches people not benefiting from existing services or other programmes.