GLOBAL FUND ARCHIEVEMENTS

IEC materials printing and distribution

CHAZ managed to print and distribute hundred percent (100%) of the Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials meant to sensitize communities on HIV prevention.
The activity is necessary for the PR to achieve its targets on number of IEC materials produced and distributed that intends to reduce further transmission of HIV through these messages in the targeted population. The IEC materials have been able to be utilized for awareness creation and also as evidence of factual information. This helped to increase trust

Life Skills training:

CHAZ managed to conduct life-skills trainings for the youths. An achievement of 171% was attained. The training was meant to enhance the skills of peer educators that provide on-going peer education services among youths among implementing SRs. The participants are drawn from all the nine provinces. Among the issues discussed includes human rights and assertiveness. This training helped to create awareness about human rights and gender and assertiveness.

Condom distribution:

So far CHAZ has managed to distribute to end-users 14% of the male condoms procured. The activity will contribute towards reducing the further transmission of HIV infection. The distributed condoms will increase access to one of the preventive measures to HIV and AIDS. The Condoms themselves will also be used as educational materials during the trainings for HIV and AIDs.

HIV Counseling:

HIV Counseling and testing is an activity that is undertaken to increase the uptake of VCT services. This activity includes mobile VCT services which help to overcome distance and other barriers. CHAZ has managed to test 102% of the clients so far. The services rendered include sensitization, health education, counseling, testing and treatment. It also includes increasing the number of sites providing VCT services, refurbishment of some already existing sites which are dilapidated to make them more user-friendly as well as convert existing infrastructure to provide VCT where this does not exist. The counseling helps to increase the number of Clients seeking information. It also helps clients to accept the HIV results particularly when they are positive.

STI  Training

The STI training is meant to equip Health Workers with enhanced skills to provide STI syndromic management according to revised national guidelines. The trained personnel has increased knowledge, skill and competence to diagnose and treat patients with STIs.

JFA   ACHIEVEMENTS

• Prevent Further Transmission of HIV Infections particularly in the Youth, Women and other Vulnerable Groups by reducing High-Risk Behaviour.

• A number of activities are carried out, in view of preventing further transmission of HIV within the communities being served. Activities carried out range from capacity building (in Syndrome Management of STIs, Life skills empowerment,  Behaviour Change  for couples) to CHI and Community based activities (Production and distribution of IEC  print material, Peer education for in and out of school youths, Males circumcision campaigns, Male involvement in PMTCT, PMTCT outreach activities, participation in World AIDS day campaigns, condom promotion and distribution and, Mobile Counseling and Testing).  

• STI Diagnosis and Treatment

• Looking at the fact that STIs increase the risk of HIV transmission, a special focus was made on their prevention in the CHIs catchment populations. In the year 2010 a total of 2,577 people were treated for STI, in line with the National Guidelines, of which 53% (1,380) were women.  There was no target for this indicator.

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• Behavior Change Communication Community Outreach

• During the year 2010 a total of 290,795 people (both youths and adults) – 138% achievement- was reached with AIDS Education and Behavior Change Communication sessions. The target was 210,000. The activity included in and out of school, mixed community, male involvement, male circumcision and PMTCT awareness campaigns including life skills workshops for young women and girls.

• The use of public address systems such as Drama Performances allowed to CHIs to reach and overshot their set targets, by reaching to larger audiences. 

• Life skills empowerment workshops for girls and women

• During the year 2010 a total of 1,913 young women, men and girls were trained in life skills empowerment representing a 99% achievement. The training were intended to empower girls and women with psychosocial life skills which are necessary for them to be able to assert themselves, claim their rights and make informed choices especially relating to their sexual lives in order to avoid getting infected with HIV and other STIs including prevention of unwanted pregnancies.  Issues of the human rights including women's and children’s rights were discussed in these meetings and a lot of experiences exchanged. These workshops provide an environment were women and girls are able to fully explore the biological, social and cultural ills that make them more vulnerable to HIV infection and AIDS disease. Although the activity was specifically intended for young women and girls, some CHIs took the initiative of including their male counterparts leading to having 636 of the total number trained being males.

• Training of Couples in BCC

• CHAZ through implementing sites planned trained a total of 2,577 individuals  (1,425 men and 1,152 women), representing a 71% achievement.  The under achievement is mainly due to the none funding of a few CHIs in the fourth quarter of 2010 and none reporting from those same CHIs at the time of producing this report. These was a one day trainings  aimed at increasing awareness about HIV/AIDS in general, promotion of safer sex practices within marriages, traditional and cultural behaviors and practices that contribute to the transmission of HIV within marriages and the promotion of good communication practices within marriages and the vital role played by couple counseling and testing in the prevention and/or management of HIV in families. The subject of human rights and gender was also included in the training programme with emphasis on the rights of women and children.  On the other hand, the training was intended to improve male involvement in the various aspects of HIV prevention and AIDS care activities in the communities.

• Condom distribution:  The use of condoms is integral   to the prevention of HIV transmission among high risk groups. However research has shown that the use of condoms across Zambia is low and that more men than women are likely to use condoms when having sex with a non regular sexual partner (ZSBS, 2005). Faced with this reality, CHAZ continued to consider condom promotion and distribution as one of the core activities in the prevention of further transmission of HIV and STIs. In 2010, CHAZ-JFA had no budget to procure and distribute condoms. However some CHIs continued to distribute stocks from the fourth quarter of 2009. A total of 129, 782 condoms are reported to have been distributed in the 2010.

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• Community HIV/AIDS Education: CHAZ planned to reach 204,480 people through HIV and AIDS awareness and Behaviour Change campaigns, CHAZ managed to reach 286, 305 people (excluding the numbers targeted through life skills and BCC workshops), representing a 140% achievement. Community HIV/AIDS Education  constitute of in and out of school youth peer education including the use of drama, male involvement in PMTCT, PMTCT awareness campaigns, male circumcision awareness campaigns and couple counseling for behavior change. The interventions focused on bridging the gap between knowledge, personal behavior and community norms that exacerbate risky sexual behavior and stigma. When drama method is used to reach the audience, more than the planned number of participants per meeting is always recorded hence the over achievement reported

• Counseling and Testing ( CT): The CHIs implementing the JFA programme used two main strategies, in the provision of HIV Counseling and Testing (CT) services, namely the static and mobile services. Through the mobile CT services provision, CHIs staff, in partnership with the community Volunteers follow the people in their Villages. After awareness and sensitization sessions, community members are counseled and tested for HIV. All the clinics offered individual and couple counseling services. During the year 2010, total of 15,796 people were counseled and tested for HIV, representing a 343% achievement of the target 1,600 clients. As per plan, a total of 230 mobile counseling and testing trips were to be undertaken by implementing CHIs, with an average of 20 clients to be tested per outreach visit. The set target was overachieved due to the integration of the activity in the already existing HIV and AIDS programmes in the CHIS, e.g. ART. During the World AIDS day and the National VCT day, more people benefit from the CT services offered by the Mobile CT services.  As a result of this servies many more people are able to access the services and know their status to be able to make informed decisions in life. Besides the mobile counseling and testing services, JFA sites also reached to 26, 263 people through their Static Counseling and Testing services to about community members in 2010.

• Prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV: The type of PMTCT service provided by CHAZ through the JFA programme is sensitization which includes male involvement. In 2010 CHAZ planned to reach a total number of 7,560 through outreach awareness campaigns and male involvement activities. A total 30,996 people were reached during the PMTCT activities, including the pregnant mothers and their spouses. During the Antenatal clinics, counseling was also offered and a total of 8,440 women and 9,947 men took the HIV test. The male involvement campaigns carried out in the CHIs have helped in increasing the number of men accessing PMTCT services with their spouses.

• Improve Quality of Life of People infected by HIV: The program activity for  care and support to community members affected and infected by HIV, the programme offered a number of activities, such as  the providing of direct support to chronically ill people (Home Based Care), support to young people in terms of Apprenticeship schemes and nutrition,  Home gardening and nutrition among the beneficiaries and their households and communities. This has resulted in the beneficiaries and their families accessing nutritious household food and income.

• Direct support to chronically ill people (Home Based Care):The program in order to adequately support and offer care to chronically ill community members through its BBC Counselors, CHAZ Secretariat procured and distributed to the CHIs/FBOs a total 50 Home Based Care kits. This has helped to improve the quality to homecare services as they have basis supplies to use and leave with the patients. A total of 9,081 people were supported in 2010, representing a 227% achievement of the target 2,000 chronically ill people. The services provided were  nutritional support, food security services especially through gardening projects, referrals for specialized management of OIs and ART, home visitations during which further AIDS education and counselling including rapid testing are provided to clients and families. Patients on ART were offered adherence counselling, while  the bedridden clients (2,577 or 28%) received basic nursing care and household activities like fetching of water and fire wood. While carrying out these activities, HBC Counselors made sure that family members were present, in view of transferring the skills and ensure sustainability.

• Youth apprenticeship scheme: In the year 2010, a total of 73 young people representing a 91% achievement of the target 80 young people, were supported through the 5 CHIs which were funded. The trainings provided to the youths ranged from Auto Mechanics and Tailoring to Carpentry. The Apprenticeship Programme is really appreciated by the community.