Regional Network on HIV/AIDS, Livelihoods and Food Security Report Back from South Africa Scott DrimieKhethiwe MngadiBenny Sikhakhane RENEWAL South AfricaDepartment of Social DevelopmentDepartment of Health RENEWAL III Workshop 12 March 2007

HIV/AIDS in South Africa: An Overview

Food Security in South Africa: An Overview The cause of hunger and malnutrition in South Africa is not due to overall shortage of food but access to food by certain groups of the population. Since the majority of people buy their staple foods from commercial suppliers, rather than growing it themselves, access to food is largely dependent on (direct or indirect) access to cash. Stunting and underweight, the country ’ s most prevalent nutritional disorders, are most severe in children 1 to 3 years of age due to inadequate protein, vitamin and mineral intake.

HIV/AIDS and Food Insecurity There is growing evidence in South Africa that the HIV/AIDS pandemic is linked to decreased levels and stability of access, availability and utilisation of food – the three common elements of food security. The effects are two-way. Not only does HIV/AIDS exacerbate food and nutrition insecurity, but the spread of the virus is accelerated when people – because of their worsening poverty – are forced to adopt ever more risky food provisioning strategies.

Government Priorities The New National Strategic AIDS Plan is intended to guide government for next 5 years: – Halving the rate of new infections – Provide treatment and support for 80% of people diagnosed with HIV by Clear opportunity to bring in food security linkages through an integrated response at local level.

RENEWAL: Moving in the Divided Space RENEWAL Action Research Capacity Communications ImprovedMulti-DirectionalDialogue Institutional adaptations

Core pillars/processes Action research Communications Capacity Action research NAP selection Engagement with decision makers Partnerships Part of broader research strategy 3 completed studies (SA) 3 unfolding (2 regional) NAP priorities Briefings Dissemination Presentations Action orientated Networking

RENEWAL SA Impact  Research Uptake - DLA Task Team and M&E Directorate  Member of Information Expert Working Group of Social Cluster  Growing Network (electronic database and updates)  Regular presentations to academia and government, occasional media commentary  Capacity strengthening - food security directorate livelihoods training  Further development of SAVI framework

The National Advisory Panel Representatives from National Departments of Health (Nutrition), Agriculture (Food Security), Social Development, the Medical Research Council, HEARD, and RADAR (Wits). HEARD functions as the focal institution (based at UKZN). Plans to formalise quarterly meetings in both Pretoria and Durban NAP to develop a strategy to support feed into emerging Comprehensive Plan

Future Plans Health and Social Development (NAP representatives) are leading on the development of a plan to operationalise an integrated response to food security and HIV/AIDS at local level. This is intended provide guidance to the emerging comprehensive response to HIV/AIDS. This to be funded by government departments working in collaboration with RENEWAL.

Future Plans Although there are interventions aimed at improving food security, they tend to be isolated, on a small-scale and there is little evidence of their effectiveness. In some cases departments are duplicating services rather than complementing actions to maximize impact: – both departments are providing home/community based care and nutrition support either as supplements and/or food parcels -- both departments have HIV and AIDS awareness and prevention programmes that are not necessarily implemented congruent to each other.

Future Plans Need for research and information on successful programmes specifically designed to deal with food, nutrition and their underlying determinants in HIV and AIDS context. RENEWAL role to assist in strengthening action research - particularly around good practice and scaling up - and focus on long-term interventions with HIV/food insecurity RENEWAL to engage in grounding concepts of food insecurity and HIV/AIDS impact RENEWAL to continue to play a role in advising government around these issues through NAP