PEPFAR Southern & Eastern Africa Meeting on Alcohol and HIV Prevention

Description:

Research suggests that alcohol use may increase sexual risk behavior, which has implications for HIV transmission. Several studies from southern and eastern Africa demonstrate that, compared to non-users, alcohol users have more sex partners and use condoms less. Also, drinking establishments often function as venues to meet casual sex partners. Alcohol use is further associated with increased risk of STIs, TB infection, injuries, gender-based violence, and non-adherence to anti-retroviral medication.

Despite these findings, few HIV prevention interventions have been implemented or documented to be effective in reducing alcohol-related risks in southern and eastern Africa.

Although comprehensive programs implemented at a national scale to address alcohol and HIV are rare, some promising interventions have been developed in Africa and India: these interventions provide valuable lessons about the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of approaches to reducing alcohol-related risky sexual behavior.

This meeting will be a technical consultation designed to share approaches to alcohol-related programs in southern and eastern Africa.

Participants will:

• Exchange intervention ideas and best practices
• Learn of WHO and PEPFAR strategies on alcohol
• Review the evidence on alcohol and HIV
• Be assisted in developing strategic plans for addressing alcohol's negative effects in their countries

Registration:

Participation in this technical consultation is by invitation only. For additional information, please contact Amy Pepin at apepin@jsi.com