Impact Mitigation

Reducing the economic and psychosocial effects of HIV and AIDS and improving the quality of life of people living with HIV, orphans and other vulnerable children, widowers, the physically challenged and the elderly people is among the programmes implemented by various players in the response to HIV and AIDS. Chiefly, interventions targeting these people are aimed at reducing the impact of HIV and AIDS so that they can continue to be productive and contribute to the economic development of the country. Impact mitigation programmes include social cash transfers, education support. Such strategies are important to ensure that the burden of HIV at individual, family, community and national level is lessened. Different organizations with the leadership of the Malawi government through the National AIDS Commission (NAC) have developed several guiding documents including the Impact Mitigation Framework to assist programme implementers and designers to deliberately focus on priority areas. Orphans and other vulnerable children are the primary audiences for impact mitigation interventions.