Location of development NGOs providing HIV and AIDS services to young people in Cape Town, South Africa

Development Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) have been crucial players in HIV and AIDS from the onset of the epidemic in South Africa. We examined development NGOs that provide HIV and AIDS services to young people within the Cape Metropole District of the Western Cape Province, with a view to analyse the location of their offices and service sites in relation to area-level HIV prevalence rates. The dataset was made up of 93 NGOs identified between October 2006 and August 2007. Whilst our results show that an increasing number of NGOs provide services to young people, thus suggesting a strategic response since young people bear the brunt of new HIV infections, the sheer numbers of NGOs do not translate into significant targeting of either offices or service sites within higher HIV prevalence areas. Thus NGO location is not determined by HIV prevalence. We argue that these findings must be considered by development practitioners, donors, planners and policy makers, in order to realign and intensify interventions in communities of most need. Moreover, there must be explicit acknowledgement of the importance of location and the utilisation of HIV prevalence rates as a strategic intent for service delivery in order to turn the HIV and AIDS tide at a faster rate. KEYWORDS: Non-governmental organisations, development, strategic location, HIV and AIDS, young people, South Africa