The 1st conference on STRENGTHENING LINKAGES
BETWEEN SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND HIV/AIDS SERVICES: THE SEXUAL VIOLENCE
NEXUS
Theme: Taking the Lead: Challenges and Emerging Opportunities in Responding
to Sexual Violence in East, Central and Southern
Africa:'
Venue - Safari Park Hotel,
Nairobi, Kenya Dates:
29th September to 1st October 2008
Sexual violence is a primary public
health concern and has implications for reproductive health and HIV/AIDS in Africa. WHO (2002) has
recognised the need for evidence based programming as an essential function for responding to sexual
violence. Increasingly African countries are responding by implementing initiatives, policies and
programmes to address sexual violence as an important factor in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Despite
the growth in responses, there is insufficient information exchange, learning lessons and interactions
between countries. HIV/AIDS interventions have provided a platform for engagement with sexual violence as a
public health concern. However, there are limited linkages between HIV/AIDS interventions and
Reproductive Health Programmes that form the basis for comprehensive care following sexual violence.
Liverpool VCT, Care & Treatment (www.liverpoolvct.org ) is
concerned with strengthening the continuum for HIV prevention, care and treatment. Strengthening
linkages to reproductive health services is fundamental to improved quality of life.
This
conference aims to utilize Sexual Violence as a nexus for interrogating and strengthening existing response
and the inter-linkages between HIV/AIDS and reproductive Health. It aims to facilitate the
development of synergistic relationships between policy makers, researchers, activists and practitioners
from Government, academia and civil society in the East, Central and Southern African region through
facilitating information exchange, sharing experiences and innovative approaches, developing consensus on
current gaps and research needs while strengthening practice/service delivery strategies. As reflected
in the conference theme, we aim to facilitate participants in taking leadership in identifying challenges
and utilizing emerging opportunities for strengthening responses to sexual violence in Africa.
More on the Conference
