The project aims to slow the spread of HIV/AIDS and mitigate its impact on those infected and affected by reducing HIV infection among young people aged 10 to 24 years and mobile populations in two transport corridors in Mozambique and Malawi. The project will strengthen existing health systems and make them more youth-friendly and accessible to women. Activities will support an innovative system of integrated HIV networks that will provide testing, counselling, care and referral services. In addition, the project will implement an effective behaviour change communication strategy and assist community and faith-based organisations, including PLWHA (people living with HIV/AIDS) associations. Operational research on gender barriers to behaviour change, stigma and discrimination will help guide the project’s advocacy strategy. In recognition of their higher risk (biologically, economically and socially) to the pandemic, women and girls will receive special attention.

The overall objective of this project is to slow the spread of HIV/AIDS and mitigate its impact on those infected and affected in the Nacala Corridor area of northern Mozambique and southern Malawi and in the northern part of the Maputo Corridor of southern Mozambique. The project will achieve this objective by focussing on the following four components: (1) strengthening integrated HIV prevention, care and support services; (2) promoting positive behaviour change amongst youth and mobile populations; (3) increasing community capacity to respond effectively to the effects of HIV/AIDS; and, (4) enhancing advocacy for the rights of people infected or affected by HIV/AIDS.

Through the implementation of these four major components, the project aims to strengthen the quality of HIV prevention care and support services at strategic locations, and to improve the access of youth and mobile populations to these services. A special emphasis will be placed on integrating and linking these health services to maximise efficiency and effectiveness of referrals among various community and hospital based services. The project will develop services to prevent mother to child transmission and to develop youth and gender sensitive approaches that encourage women and girls to access services. An important objective of the Integrated HIV Prevention, Care and Support (IPCS) centres will be to increase the number of people who know their HIV status. This objective is based on the assumption that knowledge of one’s HIV status can be an important motivational factor in achieving a reduction in risky sexual behaviour.

Other key objectives of these IPCS will be to increase the number of people receiving treatment for AIDS related opportunistic infections (including TB) and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs). Counselling and treatment to prevent mother to child transmission will be a priority objective. Also, with the aim of decreasing the overburdening of limited health care systems, Community Home Based Care (CHBC) systems to provide basic medical care and psychosocial support in the homes of PLWHAs will be introduced. As the demand for testing and counselling increases rapidly when people know that care and treatment are available, --- prevention, care and treatment activities must be viewed as being integrally related.

The project will promote positive behaviour change through the development and implementation of peer education strategies amongst youth and identified mobile population groups. This includes the promotion of safer sexual practices, health seeking behaviours and living positively with HIV/AIDS. The project will seek to reach a larger number of youth through mass media communication using radio as a channel of communication in the Nacala Corridor area, of Mozambique and Malawi, in the two main local languages. The capacity of local communities to respond effectively to the effects of this pandemic will be enhanced by the capacity building of local organisations such as farmers associations, women’s groups and faith based organisations (FBOs). This capacity building will cover both technical and organisational strengthening elements. Specific emphasis will be placed on the development of PLWHA associations in each of the key project locations.

Special studies will be undertaken during the course of the project to increase our understanding of key issues. These include studies on gender and gender-based violence (GBV) issues, and on stigma and discrimination of PLWHAS. The results of these studies will guide and inform project implementation and the elaboration of an advocacy strategy. The project will promote the adoption of GIPA (Greater Involvement of PLWHAs) principles and pursue the application of these principles through its close partnership with Mozambique’s the National Network of PLWHAs (RENSIDA) and a similar organisation in Malawi. The work with these national PLWHA organisations and their affiliates will ensure that the PLWHAs are closely involved with all stages of the project implementation cycle. Also, PLWHA representatives will play a key role on the project steering committee.

The project will also raise the awareness and knowledge levels of key members of society through the training of provincial and national leaders, health service providers and local organisation leaders on HIV/AIDS, youth, gender and human rights issues. This will enhance the effectiveness of the advocacy strategies adopted by the project to protect and promote the rights of those infected or affected by HIV/AIDS. Overall, the project approach will be a comprehensive, multi-sector one that focuses on developing capacity and commitment at all levels. Moreover, the project will provide the essential additional resources needed to build upon, complement and enhance ongoing HIV/AIDS projects being implemented by CARE and GOAL with other donor funding in the same or nearby areas. The integration of this project with ongoing ones and government efforts will allow for a fast start-up and help create mutually reinforcing synergies that will result in a much higher impact.

Duration

01.01.2004 - 31.12.2006

Donors

Liechtenstein Development Service (LED), Austrian Development Agency (ADA), CARE Österreich

Downloads

MOZ056_CARE_Final_Report.pdf

456 K

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