The following roles played by the HIV/AIDS unit are presented below:

  1. COORDINATION

The unit must ensure that all faculties and services respond appropriately to the HIV/AIDS pandemic through their core functions/ business of learning, research, management, community involvement including service provision.

This strategic priority is in line with the sector driven HEAIDS strategic framework for 2006- 2009 and beyond. The mainstream of HIV/AIDS into all activities, academic and operational is the desired result area. A 3 year rolling plan for the mainstreaming of HIV/AIDS will be generated in collaboration with key stake holders in the Nelson Mandela University.

  1. FACILITATION

This role is in collaboration with all departments and schools and service support systems. The unit has developed a strong foundation with local, national and international HIV/AIDS intersectoral networks on prevention, treatment, care and support initiatives and is therefore able to facilitate the identification of community placement areas to gain experience/ conduct research in the clinical and non-clinical field of HIV/AIDS specialization. The unit in collaboration with the director of schools, HOD’s will utilize established formal academic and service provision communication channels within the Nelson Mandela University to secure accountability.

  1. EXPERT ADVICE

All staff members within the unit and affiliated members of the Nelson Mandela University HIV/AIDS Advisory Council are all active members of professional associations involved in varying HIV/AIDS specialization areas. The unit will provide/ refer the respective enquiries to the relevant most updated source of information.

  1. MONITORING AND EVALUATION

The unit will play a vital role in providing evidence related to the impact of interventions/strategies undertaken, in particular the unit will monitor and evaluate those initiated by Nelson Mandela University service structures, for example the campus health service.

  1. RESEARCH AND TRAINING

The unit conducts its own research via the successful response application of grants and tenders. This will be undertaken in accordance with the available capacity within the Nelson Mandela University and in collaboration with the Research Capacity Building Department. The unit researcher will identify suitable under and post graduate students in collaboration with the respective supervisors to conduct the research within the scope of the grant application.

Individual members may act in supervisory/ co supervisory capacity on request. The unit has developed a team of special trainers within the different fields of HIV/AIDS. Training will be offered at select times of the year to the community (primarily to the health and educations sector) in collaboration with external stake holders with whom the unit has official MOU’s. The short learning programmes registered with the Nelson Mandela University will be offered as summer schools for international students in collaboration with the international office.