Bring Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision Services to Scale in the Malawi Defense Force
Abstract
Jhpiego, a nonprofit affiliate of the Johns Hopkins University, is pleased to offer the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) a four-year proposal to provide support for capacity building and provision of high-quality, high-volume voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) services within the Malawi Defense Force (MDF). Through this four-year project, Jhpiego will work with the DOD and the MDF to scale up VMMC to male military personnel, family members and civilians served by MDF base clinics; we will also continue to build the capacity of the MDF to sustain these services. The MDF employs about 7,000 people, according to the DOD HIV/AIDS Prevention Program (DHAPP) 2011 Annual Report. Data on HIV prevalence among MDF troops is classified, but men in the military are particularly vulnerable to HIV infection due to the highly mobile nature of their work assignments. Because it provides a lifetime of substantial protection, VMMC is a high-impact and cost-effective intervention that is a central pillar of a comprehensive HIV prevention program in a high-prevalence setting such as Malawi. The MDF needs a sustainable program to reach all personnel, their immediate families and the communities around the camps with a comprehensive package of VMMC services, including risk reduction counseling, condom promotion and provision, screening and treatment for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), HIV testing and counseling (HTC) and linkages to care and treatment. Since 2012, Jhpiego has successfully collaborated with the MDF to reach 7,300 men with safe, high-quality VMMC services. We will build on this foundation to ensure that an additional 5,000 VMMCs are conducted in each year of the proposed project, for a total of 20,000 clients reached over the life of the project. Working closely with MDF on innovative, MDF-owned strategies for demand creation and scale-up of current service delivery activities (including high-volume campaigns, regular services at static sites and mobile outreach for hard-to-reach communities), Jhpiego will work towards a sustainable program that more accurately targets and reaches military personnel to prioritize military beneficiaries for VMMC services. Jhpiego will work closely with the MDF command to avoid negatively impacting force readiness while reaching a high proportion of enlisted men. Jhpiego will: 1) leverage MDF health and peer education structures; 2) integrate VMMC education, counseling and service provision into induction programs; 3) introduce MDF-owned continuous quality improvement (CQI) activities; and 4) train additional clinical, counseling and commanding officer staff to ensure a sustainable MDF program. The proposed project goal is to build on previous successes to expand the MDF’s VMMC program and build MDF capacity to reach military personnel, their family members and civilian community members living near MDF bases with high-quality VMMC services. The Jhpiego/Malawi team offers the technical, programmatic and management expertise necessary to successfully implement the project. All of Jhpiego’s VMMC activities are managed and operated out of Jhpiego’s Blantyre office. Day-to-day program management and oversight for this project, as well as official communication with the donor and key partners, will be managed by the Program Director who will be supported by Jhpiego Malawi’s VMMC Director. The VMMC Technical Specialist will continue to work closely with MDF to plan and help execute service delivery plans, and to ensure on-the-ground coordination with demand creation partners as required. The project will also receive support from Jhpiego Malawi’s Senior Finance and Administrative Manager, as well as the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Specialist, who will ensure the collection of accurate data and help compile reports.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Aug 12, 2016
- Source ID
- N002441510071
Entities
People
- Edwin Judd