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HIV/AIDS

HIV/AIDS is a serious global health concerns with biological, social, and economic ramifications.  Throughout the world, HIV/AIDS disproportionately affect marginalized and disempowered populations. Social workers provide vital care for HIV-positive individuals and their families as well as developing prevention and intervention strategies for at-risk populations.  NASW supports the right of people living with HIV/AIDS to receive the highest quality of care, and has created the Spectrum Project to enhance the professional standards of care for those affected by HIV/AIDS. 

• NASW HIV/AIDS and Mental Health Spectrum Project  The goal of the HIV/AIDS Spectrum Project is to provide the necessary HIV and mental health practice skills for people working in social work, mental health, and substance abuse fields to enhance and promote culturally competent practice with individuals, families, and communities affected by HIV/AIDS. 
• NASW Policy Statement on HIV/AIDS
• HIV/AIDS General Information from HelpStartsHere.org
• NASW Free WebEd Course - Understanding HIV/AIDS:  The Social Worker’s Role
• NASW HIV/AIDS-related article on Cross-Disciplinary Collaborations as Tools to Protect the Right to Health in the American Bar Association quarterly Human Rights Magazine
• International Federation of Social Work (IFSW) Policy on HIV/AIDS
• Millennium Development Goal #6:  Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other Diseases
• PEPFAR - The U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) was launched in 2003 to combat global HIV/AIDS
• National HIV/AIDS Strategy - The National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS), launched in July 2010, has three over-arching goals:  1) reducing HIV incidence, 2) increasing access to care and optimizing health outcomes, and 3) reducing HIV-related health disparities.    The NHAS has released two reports:  The National HIV/AIDS Strategy for the United States and The National HIV/AIDS Strategy:  Federal Implementation Plan.  
• UNAIDS  - UNAIDS, the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS, is a joint venture of ten UN organizations to help the world prevent new HIV infections, care for people living with HIV, and mitigate the impact of the epidemic.