Skills building session at AIDS 2008: Scaling up a Positive Prevention Intervention

Skills Building Session: Scaling up a Positive Prevention Intervention in High-HIV/AIDS Prevalence Countries: Adaptation, Implementation, and Sustainability of Healthy Relationships programme

Jointly hosted by HSRC, University of Connecticut and National Institutes of Health (NIH).

This workshop will build skills for adapting and implementing effective HIV transmission prevention interventions targeted to people living with HIV/AIDS (e.g. Positive Prevention). UNAIDS has identified positive prevention as an essential element of comprehensive prevention plans and positive prevention is included in the National Strategic Plan of South Africa.  In the US, the CDC has disseminated a positive prevention intervention called Healthy Relationships to hundreds of US-based NGOs. Healthy Relationships assists people living with HIV to manage AIDS-related stigma, make effective HIV disclosure decisions, and reduce sexual risk practices. The HSRC has successfully adapted Healthy Relationships for use in South Africa and Botswana, an experience that provides the substance for this workshop.

An interactive skills-building approach will be used and will include semi-structured presentations of models of positive prevention, interactive group exercises for adapting and tailoring interventions in resource limited and high prevalence countries, and small group breakouts to practice skills for identifying, adapting, and tailoring program components for specific target populations.   You will gain the following skills:

• identification of the principles of positive prevention interventions;
• practical knowledge for implementing the Healthy Relationships curriculum;
• use of a systematic approach for adapting the Healthy Relationships   
• program for use in resource limited and high-AIDS prevalence countries;
• strategies for building community support, accessing resources, and  
• sustaining Healthy Relationships in resource limited countries.