Publication

HIV/AIDS needs champions—and nurses and midwives need recognition—for providing care and support to people living with IV/AIDS, their families and communities. This publication describes nursing and midwifery champions in HIV/AIDS care in Southern Africa, who, with singular commitment and resourcefulness, are delivering good-quality care in spite of innumerable obstacles and constraints. They carry a heavy burden, and they know the meaning of the expression, “where there’s a will there’s a way”. UNAIDS and the SADC AIDS Network of Nurses and Midwives (SANNAM) celebrate just a few of the many thousands of champions who are on the front lines of care and treatment, many times feeling the sadness, shame and anger of having so little to offer. In describing the work of a few, the intention is to pay tribute to all who are doing a caring, committed job in the face of great odds, and to share the valuable lessons they have learned from experience. In addition to being of value to nurses and midwives, this report is also aimed at all those with an interest in improving the quality of care and support of people living with HIV/AIDS—especially those responsible for training, managing and supervising nursing and midwifery staff, and policy-makers within health-care services.