Zambia Defense Force HIV Prevention Cross-Cutting Project
Abstract
In response to Department of Defense (DoD) HIV/AIDS Prevention Program (DHAPP) BAA-15-002, FHI 360 will continue to closely collaborate with the Zambia Defense Force (ZDF) and Ministry of Health (MoH) to reduce new HIV infections among military personnel, their families, and the surrounding communities. Through the ZDF-Prevention Cross-Cutting (ZDF-PCC) project, FHI 360 will support the Defense Force Medical Services (DFMS) to aggressively scale up and improve the availability and quality of HIV Testing and Counseling (HTC), Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT), laboratory services, effective use of strategic information (SI) at target health facilities, and health systems strengthening.The Goal of the ZDF-PCC project is to strengthen the DFMS health system over 47 military health facilities, including aggressively scaling up HTC, PMTCT, and laboratory services, supported by SI. The purpose of the ZDF-PCC project will be to control the epidemic among Zambia’s military by moving closer to achieving the “90-90-90” aims: 90% of military personnel, their families, and community members who are people living with HIV (PLHIV) know their status; 90% of those diagnosed are on ART; and 90% of those on ART are virally suppressed by 2020. The project has 5 Objectives: (1) To strengthen and scale up PMTCT in 43 facilities by 2017;(2) To strengthen and scale up HTC in 47 facilities by 2017;(3) To strengthen laboratory services through improved infrastructure and equipment availability in 47 facilities; (4) To support ZDF staff with monitoring and use of SI for quality assurance and improvement of services in 47 facilities; (5) To support and strengthen health systems in 47 project-supported facilities by 2020. Strategy: Having worked with DHAPP, the ZDF and MoH over the past four years of the ZDF Prevention, Care and Treatment (ZDFPCT) project, FHI 360 will build on the successes and lessons learned from ZDFPCT. FHI 360 will support HIV prevention by incorporating a unique mix of international evidence-based best practices, on-the-ground experience, and in-depth knowledge of the local context. To reach 241,302 beneficiaries throughout 7 high burden provinces, ZDF-PCC will continue the ongoing effective ZDFPCT activities while expanding services through scale up, introduction of male involvement in PMTCT, and demand creation for both HTC and ART. Regular outreach will be conducted in permanent deployment areas, sports days, and youth corners. In the high-burden and high-population provinces of Lusaka, Central, and Copperbelt, FHI 360 will intensify interventions for “saturation” of ART coverage -- to reach 80% coverage of HTC and 90% coverage of HIV+ pregnant women. In Muchinga, Northern, Northwestern and Luapula provinces, ZDF-PCC will target HIV maintenance sites with high patient volume, and will support lower-volume sites as needed. The project’s capacity development plan will ensure that facilities are transitioned to ZDF/DHMS.A fundamental element of the ZDF-PCC approach will be assisting the ZDF, MoH, PLHIV groups, and target facilities to rapidly and efficiently increase availability and uptake of HIV services across the prevention-care-treatment continuum. ZDF-PCC will use the HIV cascade framework, a powerful advocacy, planning, and monitoring tool that can be easily understood and utilized by all actors in the HIV response. ZDF-PCC will result in motivated HCWs with capacity to provide quality services and in increased numbers of clients who know their HIV status, are linked to care and treatment, and/or are retained in PMTCT to achieve viral suppression and reduce mother-to-child transmission.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Sep 19, 2016
- Source ID
- N002441610034
Entities
People
- Morrison Zulu
Organizations
- Family Health International