Fear, denial, stigma and discrimination Provide awareness education in schools and workplaces and promote understanding through media-based advocacy campaigns and community out-reach efforts. Gender inequality and power differentials Involve both men and women to ensure equal access to education, employment and protection of human rights in addition to promoting an enabling environment for negotiation of safe sex with partners.

Poverty and livelihood insecurity

Take actions at local and national levels especially for remote or poor areas, by mobilizing and promoting local talent and resources to alleviate hunger and reduce unemployment through sustainable means.

Migration and displacement Implement policies and programmes to enable access to healthcare and workers’ protection, especially for migrant workers, both domestic and foreign, while ensuring safe workplaces.

Social-cultural norms, values and practices

Place HIV and AIDS issues in social, economic and security context of a society.

Proactively engage people living with and affected by HIV and AIDS to help the society understand which norms and behaviours are potential factors to increase the risks of contracting the virus. This is region-specific and depends on the religions and values of each community.

National legislative and policy environment Enact national laws which support mainstreaming efforts at all levels. Workplace policies and community-based awareness and treatment support by programmes should be supported by legislation to ensure their effective implementation. Engage politicians to take a leadership role on HIV and AIDS, based on the national commitment to UNGASS and MDGs in considering HIV and AIDS as a national priority, given its threat to national security and a crisis with international implications.

Condoms have been a basic but critical tool in prevention. In many communities of men who have sex with men, and sex workers, awareness-raising meant that the use of condoms became the norm. However, this messaging is not as strongly pushed now, and a new generation is growing up without being fully aware of the benefits of using condoms, and many countries have shortages.