Prevent and protect: Linking the HIV and child protection response to keep children safe, healthy & resilient

Living with or being affected by HIV makes children more susceptible to abuse, neglect, and exploitation; being more susceptible to violence puts children at greater risk for HIV infection. This circular pattern demonstrates why it is critical that child protection and OVC actors collaborate in order to improve each other’s outcomes This summary of findings follows a 2013 study conducted by the Inter-Agency Team (IATT) on Children and HIV and AIDS which examined evidence on how child protection systems and services affect HIV and AIDS, and vice versa, and provided recommendations for a multi-level, multi-sectoral approach. This paper subsequently provides practitioners with models and examples of how such synergies have been created in Nigeria, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.