Prevent and protect: Linking the HIV and child protection response to keep children safe, healthy & resilient

The potential to achieve an AIDS-free generation depends on protecting children from abuse, violence, exploitation and neglect. The reverse is also true: preventing HIV will help protect children from these violations. A review of evidence, commissioned by the Inter-Agency Task Team on Children Affected by HIV and AIDS in 2013, concluded that ‘it is the responsibility of every child protection actor to ensure that no child be needlessly exposed to the risk of acquiring HIV and that no child living with HIV is denied his or her right to HIV testing, treatment, care and the support necessary to live a healthy, independent life. It is
the responsibility of every person working on HIV prevention, care and support for children to prevent abuse, neglect, violence and exploitation and to support child survivors of these protection violations.’

This report seeks to provide lessons about why making such synergies is important – what difference it makes for children and their families – and how this is being implemented in practice within three African countries. This report builds on the reflections and experiences collected from practitioners and policymakers at country level in order to provide practical recommendations on how to engage more effectively across the HIV and AIDS, health and
child protection sectors.