SUMMARY OF TRACK D - SOCIAL-SCIENCE - RESEARCH, POLICY AND ACTION

Scope: This review summarizes the main issues discussed during Track D , which examined the societal impact of HIV/AIDS, and responses to the epidemic by individuals, families, communities and societies worldwid e. Micro- and macrolevel issues addressed included the development, im plementation and evaluation of programmes for prevention and care; pol icy development and implementation; structural issues such as the impa ct of gender relations, development and migration on the development o f the epidemic; and the social and economic impact of HIV/AIDS on affe cted societies and communities. Recurrent themes: Presentations provid ed strong evidence that peer-led, community-based programmes offer par ticularly effective ways of working, and that participatory research i nvolving affected communities provides useful results for the design a nd evaluation of programmes and policies. This is the case across sett ings, issues, populations and countries. Future directions: Emerging n eeds include how best to ensure sustainability of national and interna tional responses, how best to scale up successful interventions for wi der reach, and how best to work with systematically marginalized, negl ected groups and populations. Research priorities include the characte rization of the multiple determinants of HIV-related vulnerability, an d the evaluation of interventions that take these complex determinants as their starting point. A more coherent and strategic response requi res less separation between the different constituencies involved in A IDS work, and the more sustained involvement of people living with HIV /AIDS themselves.