HIV & AIDS

In Tanzania, Develini, a home-based care provider, helps her client determine which contraceptive method is appropriate to use with her HIV medication. (TANZANIA)

Pathfinder supports the most at risk populations, including prison inmates (seen here in Mozambique), with HIV prevention and behavior change programs.

At a health post in Ethiopia, Masreshah counsels her pregnant client on the importance of HIV testing and prevention, including how to protect her child from the virus if she tests positive.

A young man in South Africa celebrates the launch of The Youth Friendly Wellness Center, where he and his friends can access a number of critical services, including HIV counseling and testing.

In 2011, over 3.3 million individuals received HIV and AIDS services in Pathfinder-supported projects.

For the past 20 years, Pathfinder has played a major role, contributing on several fronts of the global response to AIDS.AIDS is the leading cause of mortality among women of reproductive age and has devastating impact on the health, livelihood, and survival of women, children, and families. The HIV epidemic has greatly affected health, social, and economic sectors in the developing world and is one of the main causes for little progress in addressing maternal health. Response to this crisis requires a massive, multi-sectoral, and coordinated global effort to implement state-of-the-art approaches, and advance social justice and human rights. For the past 20 years, Pathfinder has played a major role, contributing on several fronts of the global response to AIDS.

While our initial efforts in the late 1980s focused on the integration of HIV prevention messages within sexual and reproductive health projects, in the late 1990s, our experience in community-based contraceptive services was successfully adapted into a model of home-based care for people living with HIV implemented in several countries.

Today, our work has expanded. We use our unique and long-standing experience in community, sexual and reproductive health, local capacity development, and gender activities to contribute to HIV programming in over a dozen countries. Pathfinder supports prevention, treatment, care, and support activities that are based on science-based methods and contribute to reducing HIV incidence and promoting quality of life for persons infected and/or affected by HIV.

Pathfinder has developed expertise and multi-country leadership for programs working with:

• Key populations (including sex workers and men who have sex with men),
• Sexual and reproductive health and HIV integration,
• Positive health dignity and prevention,
• Adolescents and youth,
• Prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT).

Currently, Pathfinder has a range of HIV projects around the world.