Monthly Themes

Reaching Local Communities

Overview

The long-term success of PEPFAR will be through durable changes to behaviors and attitudes to reduce HIV transmission and improve access to HIV prevention, care and treatment services integrated as part of the Ivorian health care and social service systems. These advancements will only take place if there is a strong indigenous response and support for locally defined and socio-culturally adapted initiatives.  This sustained support is particularly necessary at the grassroots level, where PEPFAR is working to build strong partnerships that will help in the fight against HIV/AIDS and support HIV prevention interventions and increase access to care and treatment services.

Goals

• Re-establish and reinforce care for persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and their families in the northwestern region of Cote d’Ivoire where health care has been disrupted since the start of the civil war in 2002
• Develop and implement targeted social marketing behavior change campaigns amongst military personnel and establish mobile units to provide HIV/AIDS prevention education and testing and treatment facilities
• Coordinate the fight against HIV/AIDS through village, district, regional, and national HIV committees and networks of faith-based organizations and provide them with small grants for their activities
• Implement abstinence and faithfulness prevention campaigns to target youth and other populations in rural settings
• Promote confidential HIV counseling and testing as a routine part of medical care and overcome barriers to HIV testing for rural and underserved populations
• Expand the capacity of the Ivoirian government and local non-governmental organizations to use data for policy and planning

PEPFAR Points

• Several large grants will be awarded in the areas of reaching local communities this month at a press conference attended by Ambassador Hooks, the grantees, and Ivoirian officials.  These grants have a project period of four years and include:
• 4 million USD to expand HIV/AIDS prevention and care services for rural populations
• 4 million USD to prevent HIV/AIDS amongst the uniformed services & ex-combatants
• 5 million USD for programs designed at preventing HIV/AIDS in the underserved Northern and Western regions of Cote d’Ivoire