South Africa Core Package Final Report: Siyam'kela: Measuring HIV/AIDS Stigma in South Africa, 2002-2004 POLICY (April 2005)  Full Document (English)      Order for free      email to me  In 2002, the POLICY Project embarked on an HIV/AIDS stigma research project in a country that has a substantial HIV/AIDS epidemic. The POLICY Project developed HIV/AIDS indicators and guidelines for stigma mitigation through a participatory, consultative process. The project carried out a qualitative research study in three sectors that play a leadership role in South Africa: the faith-based sector, national government departments, and the media. The research was conducted in communities across South Africa, and of the focus group participants, 85 percent were black, 55 percent were women, and 43 percent were people living with HIV/AIDS. HIV/AIDS indicators were developed to assist HIV/AIDS program managers to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of their stigma mitigation efforts. Comprehensive guidelines were also developed to guide and strengthen HIV/AIDS programs to ensure that HIV/AIDS stigma mitigation programs are mainstreamed, resulting in a comprehensive and effective response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in South Africa. Further funding has been secured through USAID/South Africa to continue the project and ensure that the findings, tools, and documents from this research will be used, tested, and improved and that they inform training interventions in the next phase of the project.