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“Left behind”: why implementing migration-aware responses to HIV for migrant farm workers is a priority for South Africa

Knowledge Platform

“Left behind”: why implementing migration-aware responses to HIV for migrant farm workers is a priority for South Africa

Like many other countries, South Africa (SA) has committed to the Sustainable Development Goals that aim to “leave no-one behind”, in efforts towards universal health coverage, and meeting the UNAIDS 90–90–90 targets through the implementation of universal test and treat (UTT) interventions. SA is associated with high levels of international and internal migration that, in certain contexts, are known to (1) increase the risk of acquiring HIV and (2) present challenges to HIV treatment access and continuity. Despite this, migration and mobility are not adequately considered in responses to HIV. As SA rolls out UTT programmes and antiretroviral treatment as prevention (TasP) interventions, including pre-exposure prophylaxis (PreP), there is an urgent need to ensure that these are migration-aware and mobility-competent. In SA, a key population that experiences a disproportionate HIV burden is international migrant farm workers living and working on commercial farms along the border with Zimbabwe. In this article, a social determinants of health approach is applied to explore the context within which this population struggles to access positive determinants of health, including the public health care system, and the implications of this for HIV programming. It is argued that, unless policies and programming become migration-aware and mobility-competent, UTT and TasP interventions will struggle to address the high burden of HIV among this population and, as a result, progress towards global health targets will be limited.

Date of Publication
Type of Resource
Journal Article
Target Audience
Academia
Government
Intergovernmental Organization
Author
Dr Thea de Gruchy & Prof Jo Vearey
Source / Publisher
African Journal of AIDS Research
Language
English
Geographic Scope
Regional
Country
Country
South Africa
Region
Africa
Workstream Output
No
Regional Review Process
No
GCM Objectives
7
8
Cross Cutting Theme
People-centred
Sustainable development
SDGs
SDG.3 - Good Health And Well-Being
Keywords
Health services and situation
Health-related migration
Status
Published

*References to Kosovo shall be understood to be in the context of United Nations Security Council resolution 1244 (1999).