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The expansion of access to ART is significantly improving the lives of people living with HIV and the wellbeing of communities affected by the epidemic. However, stigmatization and discrimination and poor adherence threaten to weaken the full potential of drug treatment and medical care. This paper looks at the contribution that treatment education can make to maximise the impact of greater ART accessibility and improved care provision. It takes a wide-ranging approach to education, which should include treatment literacy, advocacy and community mobilisation. It takes the view that treatment preparedness can only be achieved through the full involvement of people living with HIV/AIDS. An effective strategy will also rely on inter-sectoral collaboration between governments, the education sector, civil society and development organizations. It argues that the success of interventions will depend on their gender-responsiveness, and in their ability to adopt participatory and interactive methods, targeting different groups and settings in a culturally sensitive manner

This handbook presents experiences and proposes ideas and comments on how DPOs and people with disabilities can enter and participate in national Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSP) processes. It provides an overview of the PRSP process and outlines approaches to PRSP and disability, explaining how to include disability issues in national PRSPs. It explains the three main phases of a PRSP (formulation, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation), and suggests how civil society can participate in the process. Addresses issues related to stakeholders, provides information on process and project management and presents ways of influencing policies through lobbying and advocacy. It also includes case studies from four countries. This manual is aimed mainly at people with disabilities, and parents' associations (PAs) which intend to participate in their respective national PRSP process

The 2006 World Development Report focuses on equity and development strategy. It builds on and extends frameworks discussed in the 2004 report. Equity is a potentially important factor affecting both the workings of the investment environment and the empowerment of the poor - the two major lines of the World Bank's poverty reduction strategy. The report describes current levels of and recent trends in inequalities along some key dimensions, both within and across countries; discusses whether such inequalities matter and, if so, how it may be possible to reduce them in ways which, rather than harming economic efficiency and growth, may indeed help promote them; and explores the role of domestic policies and international forces, and the potential for international action to reduce inequalities

The 2005 report takes stock of human development, including progress towards the MDGs. Looking beyond statistics, it highlights the human costs of missed targets and broken promises. Extreme inequality between countries and within countries is identified as one of the main barriers to human development and as a powerful brake on accelerated progress towards the MDGs. The report argues that poverty and inequality need urgent attention. It gives a comparison of life expectancy in various countries and puts forward a case that the response from the international community to HIV/AIDS pandemic has been lacking. The report indicates that child mortality has been on the rise compared to the 1980s when the trend had been reversed

The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child publishes its interpretations of the content of human rights provisions, in the form of 'General Comments' on thematic issues. This 'General Comment' paper is about implementing child rights in early childhood. The definition of early childhood here is children from birth, through infancy and the pre-school years. Previous information available on the subject of human rights and early childhood development has been centred around child mortality, birth registration and health care. This paper aims to encourage recognition that ealy childhood is a critical period for the realisation of rights. Research has highlighted the particular risks to young children from malnutrition, disease, poverty, neglect, social exclusion and a range of other adversities. Proper prevention and intervention strategies during early childhood have the potential to impact positively on young children's current well being and future development

This guide highlights the relationship between gender, rights and HIV and AIDS. The impact of HIV and AIDS tends to be greater in unequal settings and stigma and discrimination, often associated with the disease, intensify and reinforce inequality. This document, aimed at programme managers and development organisations, reflects on how gender inequality affects women affected by HIV and AIDS. It explains why women may be at greater risk of contracting the disease, while having poor access to treatment. Women also tend to assume the responsibility of caring for those who are sick, and girls in households affected by HIV are more likely than boys to be taken out of school as a cost-saving measure, and to help in domestic chores. The guide contains a set of checklists to help evaluate the level of commitment to gender equality in programming, funding, communication, networking and advocacy

This report is a collection of case studies of projects, programmes and activities around the world that have used innovative methods to challenge HIV-related stigma, discrimination and human rights violations. The case studies are grouped under stigma-reduction approaches; anti-discrimination measures; and human rights and legal approaches. They are followed by some cross-project/activity analysis that identifies common elements and a number of key principles of success, each of which offers an entry point for innovative and potentially effective work