Mainstreaming HIV/AIDS

For the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), contributing to the international AIDS response continues to be a priority and mainstreaming of HIV should be understood as a shared responsibility in all, or much, of cooperation work. SDC promotes strategies and approaches that are adapted to the local context and epidemiological scenario. It is essential to use a culturally, and gender sensitive and appropriate approach when responding to the epidemic. Mainstreaming of HIV can take place in cooperation activities in various epidemiological contexts with various aid modalities – through bilateral cooperation, humanitarian aid and multilateral aid.
By «mainstreaming», we mean a process that enables development actors to address the causes and effects of HIV in an effective and sustained manner, both through their usual work and within their workplace. It means «wearing AIDS glasses» while working in all sectors and at all levels. Mainstreaming of HIV in the external sphere should not be imposed on all cooperation work, but the decision on which cooperation activities and actors to be involved should be grounded on strategic consideration of the needs, resources and response already existing, and the comparative advantages a specific cooperation activity offers. All cooperation activities should, however, consider setting up a workplace policy and programme in a participative way, in order to ensure that HIV related needs in the internal sphere of an organisation are being covered.


Objectives of the toolkit:

  • Inform about approaches to mainstreaming HIV
  • Provide practical information on «how to do it» for those who want to start mainstreaming HIV and help those who have already started to further strengthen their approach
  • Provide relevant information useful to all continents, types of epidemics and aid modalities within SDC (Regional cooperation, cooperation with Eastern Europe and CIS, global cooperation and humanitarian aid) and for its partners
  • Provide further resources for each of the essential mainstreaming HIV steps
  • Share SDC’s experience in mainstreaming HIV with interested partners and contribute to a shared understanding of the approach


Further information:

Toolkit: Mainstreaming HIV in practice






Lessons learned from the evaluation 2007