Integrated Systems for Health and Social Protection

The Joint Programme provided policy guidance, advocacy, technical support and knowledge products to support integration systems for health and social protection. As of 2023, 70 countries supported by the Joint Programme provided antiretroviral therapy services that were organized and financed as part of their overall health systems, including through primary health care. Fifty-two countries included cervical cancer screening and treatment for women living with HIV in their national strategies, plans and guidelines for HIV, cancer, cervical cancer, noncommunicable diseases or other health areas.

The Joint Programme supported 44 countries to use gender-related data and evidence to revise social protection policies or programmes to enhance their inclusion of people living with, at risk of and affected by HIV. The Joint Programme supported the extension of HIV-sensitive social protection in 12 countries in western and central Africa, launched checklists, case studies and other tools for HIV-sensitive social protection approaches, and built the capacity of organizations of sex workers to access financial services.

The Joint Programme’s work aided the expansion of “Cash Plus” (or bundled) interventions and shared new evidence and knowledge on successful approaches to reduce the HIV vulnerability of adolescents and young people.

Practical guides and tools on integrated people-centred systems and services, including for common HIV comorbidities, and resilient and sustainable systems for health have helped guide countries’ strategic planning, programming and resource mobilization. The “Go Further” partnership for ending AIDS and cervical cancer in Africa enabled over eight million cervical cancer screenings among for women living with HIV in 12 countries between 2021 and 2023, and a new set of cervical cancer and HIV integration indicators helped track progress.