HIV This Week

L.P. Babichi, W.J. Bicknell, L. Culpepper B.W. Jack, M.W. Phooko, B. Smith & T.T. Thahane. Institutional commitment and HIV/AIDS: Lessons from the first 3 years of the Lesotho. Global Public Health, 2008; 3(4): 417-432.

In mid-2003, Boston University made a decade long institutional commitment to collaborate with the Government of Lesotho as it grappled with the human resource implications of the HIV epidemic. The collaboration is a work in progress. Babichi and colleagues explore the rationale for the University’s commitment, detail the development of the relationship between the Government and the University, review the principles that guide the collaboration, report on the activities, results, and challenges to date, and conclude with a look toward the future. They stress the importance of six principles: trust, mutual respect, shared interests, a long time horizon, sustainability, and a country-driven agenda. Although technical or programme content is important, long-term results of value are difficult to achieve if these principles are not honoured.

Editors’ note: This collaboration followed the ‘country first, donor follows’ principle with a collaborative, interactive, open-ended, non-predetermined 10-day assessment of Lesotho’s needs and Boston University’s areas of relevant strength. The latter’s commitment is long-term and university-wide, engaging university resources as well as external donor funds. The collaboration is characterised by a long time-horizon and a focus on sustainability, excellence, relevance, trust, respect, and openness. These are all essential to maintaining a long-term mutual commitment to effectively addressing the root problems affecting delivery of quality HIV prevention, treatment, and care and support services in Lesotho.