Developments in the world of HIV/AIDS – such as increased access for HIV-positive people to antiretroviral therapy – demand a response in terms of new strategies and policies. To give one example, children grow up to become adolescents with sexual needs and rights. What kind of support is needed by HIV-positive children in particular, and how can support best be provided? Questions such as these need to be the focus of joint action research in order to produce innovative, problem-solving approaches and a growing evidence base.