HIV AIDS Clinical Prevention within the Botswana Defense Force
Abstract
Jhpiego, a nonprofit affiliate of The Johns Hopkins University, is pleased to offer the Department of Defense (DOD) a four-year proposal for $4,000,000 to provide support to DOD’s program for prevention, care and treatment of HIV/AIDS in foreign militaries. Through this award, Jhpiego will support Botswana Defense Force (BDF) efforts to rapidly expand the volume and improve quality of HIV/AIDS prevention services to military personnel, their dependents and other beneficiaries in communities near the 13 BDF camps. The BDF currently runs annual campaigns, known as Sekwata campaigns, focused on HIV testing and counseling (HTC), behavior change communication, voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) and condom promotion and distribution. Jhpiego will improve the design and implementation of Sekwata campaigns while building BDF’s human and structural capacity to effectively plan and implement HIV prevention services. Jhpiego will explore opportunities for better timing and duration of Sekwata campaigns in order to reach more beneficiaries with services and to improve volume of services between campaigns. Jhpiego will also build BDF’s capacity in: 1) creating demand for VMMC (including the PrePex™ device for VMMC); 2) forecasting, procuring, distributing and promoting male condoms; 3) HTC, including provider initiated testing and counseling and couples counseling; 4) emphasizing linkage to care; and 5) maintaining a strong network of effective peer educators able to use the electronic medical records for quality data collection and timely reporting. In both Sekwata campaigns and regular services, the Jhpiego-supported project will pay close attention to quality of services and contribute to strengthening the capacity of the BDF to protect personnel and their families and, particularly, new recruits as they age into older, high-risk age groups. Jhpiego will work very closely with BDF leadership and the HIV/AIDS office on designing interventions, implementing and monitoring activities to ensure BDF buy-in for support and sustainability of project interventions. By the end of Jhpiego’s involvement, the BDF should have the capacity to sustainably, with little or no external support, implement a high-quality and effective HIV prevention program not only for its primary and secondary beneficiaries (BDF employees and their families) but also for other beneficiaries from surrounding communities. During the four project years, Jhpiego will support, among other areas; 3,400 VMMCs, procurement and distribution of 14 million condoms and 18,500 HTC sessions. Successful implementation of this project will generate best practices that could be applied to other uniformed forces and workplace-based initiatives to further benefit the Government of Botswana’s fight against HIV/AIDS.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Mar 11, 2016
- Source ID
- N002441510017
Entities
People
- Galina Stolarsky
Organizations
- United States Navy