People affected by HIV and AIDS

It is estimated that 33.4 million people in the world are living with HIV and two-thirds of them live in Africa. Forty per cent of those with HIV are young people aged between 15 and 25 years. Most people with HIV have never been tested and do not know their status. By the end of 2010, it is estimated that over 20 million children will have lost one or both parents to HIV-related illnesses. HIV is fuelled by deep rooted societal injustices such as gender inequity, marginalisation and the criminalisation of vulnerable groups.

The number of people living with HIV is increasing because of new infections and the expanded availability of treatments that help people with HIV live longer. As such, there is a growing demand for all services including HIV treatment, care and support for people with HIV, prevention of new infections, and for tackling the impact of HIV.

Stigma and discrimination continue to be great barriers to change.

Aim of the programme

Our goal is to improve the quality of life of people living with HIV and strengthen their participation in the response to the epidemic. Comic Relief believes that people with HIV know best what services they need and what changes are required to transform their lives and those of their families. We also believe that the quality of life of people living with HIV can be improved by:

• Providing and enabling access to comprehensive services for people with HIV and their families
• Building the capacity of people living with HIV to respond to the epidemic
• Advocating for and supporting policy work which leads to improvements in the lives of people with HIV and their families.

Target Group

HIV programme beneficiaries include people living with HIV and their families, including children affected by HIV or who are especially vulnerable to HIV. In addition, we will support population groups that, according to evidence, are most vulnerable to HIV and are demonstrably underserved by HIV prevention services in their country context. This includes men who have sex with men, injecting drug users, and sex workers.

Geographic focus

The People Affected by HIV and AIDS programme will focus on any country or region in Africa with a generalised HIV epidemic where HIV prevalence is consistently over 1% in pregnant women.

Outcomes

Your work will need to deliver one or more of the following outcomes:

• An increase in the number of people with HIV, and their families, who achieve their right to access services that enable them to live longer, healthier and more productive lives
• People living with HIV and their families benefit from increased incomes and more secure tenure which results in improved livelihoods
• Measurable improvements in relationships between men and women which leads to an increase in the practice of safer sex and greater uptake of HIV services by those who need them
• People living with HIV and their families experience a measurable reduction in stigma and discrimination, which leads to more equitable access to services, and an increased understanding of, and reduced fears about, HIV and AIDS
• An increase in the number of civil society organisations addressing the impact of HIV in the workplace, leading to an increase in the number of staff and volunteers accessing HIV prevention and care services, reduced levels of stigma, and better organisational performance as a result of these policies and practices.

Type of grants available

Grants available under the People Affected by HIV and AIDS programme are as follows:

Project grants – these may be up to £1 million over five years. Organisations are strongly advised to submit applications that are proportionate to their size and capacity, the size and capacity of their local partners, and their track record to date.

Restrictions: none

Research, Consultation and Planning grants – these may be for up to £25,000 and for up to 12 months’ duration. They will enable partners to carry out action research, a needs analysis, a pilot study, and related work that will help applicant organisations to develop a well thought out proposal.

Restrictions: these grants are only available to organisations with an income of less than £1m per year, or Diaspora-led organisations.

Investment grants – these provide long-term, core funding for local organisations, usually over five years. There is no upper limit but Investment grants must be proportionate to the size and capacity of applicant organisations and their partners.

Restrictions: these grants are only available to selected partners with a long history of Comic Relief funding and a track record of success in HIV programming.

Download the full People Affected by HIV and AIDS programme strategy document