The ASEAN Task Force on AIDS (ATFOA) adopted during a meeting in December 1997 a set of Guidelines on Strengthening and Enhancing Collaboration on HIV/AIDS Education, Prevention and Care among Government Organizations, Non-Government Organizations, Private Sector, and Communities in the ASEAN Region. The Guidelines had been formulated at a seminar held a month earlier in Manila.
The Guidelines at the National Level stressed the need for an enabling environment that would encourage the participation of NGOS, the private sector and communities in the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of programmes on HIV/AIDS.
The General Guidelines are to:
Encourage the creation of a more caring society for people living with HIV/AIDS and their families;
Promote greater political commitment to the effort of ensuring the participation of government organizations, NGOS, the private sector, communities and people living with HIV/AIDS for a more efficient prevention and control of the affliction;
Recognize the synergistic and complementary roles of the Government, NGOS, the private sector, the communities and people living with HIV/AIDS that enable them to contribute to nationwide efforts commensurate with their respective capacities and potentials;
Encourage adherence to the Guidelines by all relevant policy makers, programme planners and managers, and key partners and donor agencies in accordance with their national strategy/programme;
Incorporate elements of intersectoral collaboration in the Work Programme to Operationalize the ASEAN Regional Programme on HIV/AIDS; and
Exchange and disseminate information and publications on collaborative projects showcasing successes, best practices and lessons learned.
Guidelines at the ASEAN Regional Level:
Ensure representation and greater involvement of NGOS, private sector, communities and persons living with HIV/AIDS in the ASEAN Task Force on AIDS (ATFOA) by inviting their representatives to relevant ASEAN meetings and activities;
Encourage the holding of joint meetings between ATFOA and ASEAN Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the ASEAN Business Forum;
Disseminate information among member countries on lessons learned and challenges met in the implementation of joint HIV/AIDS projects by different sectors in each country; and
Identify suitable mechanisms for carrying out intersectoral collaboration among member countries on cross-border HIV/AIDS issues.
For many years now, NGOs like the Bidlisiw Foundation in the Philippines and the Thailand Business Coalition on AIDS (TBCA) have been at the forefront of the battle against the epidemic. They have proven to be particularly effective in reaching communities that governments often find difficult to reach.