Building Public Sector Capacity to Address HIV/AIDS

Building public sector capacity and overcoming systemic obstacles to address HIV/AIDS in affected and high-risk countries are two of the most important and complex leadership challenges faced by national governments and the international community. Depending on the country and situation, they require a combination of short-term crisis management and ‘quick fixes’, with the often painstakingly slow and multi-dimensional process of building human, institutional, organizational and communications capacities and infrastructure to strengthen national planning, budgeting, public awareness, and health systems over the longer-term. This in turn calls for both political leadership and commitment from the top of government, as well as dedicated and appropriately trained and supported public health practitioners, public managers and community leaders at all levels of society.