HIV Prevention in the Angola Military
Abstract
The April 2002 peace agreement ended the war in Angola bringing an opportunity for HIV prevention; however, it also increased the threat of HIV due to greater population mobility, a demobilized military, and the return of refugees from neighboring countries with high HIV prevalence. HIV prevalence in Angola is estimated at 2.4% (Spectrum, 2014.); however relatively high prevalence in neighboring countries such as Namibia (13.1%), Botswana (24.3%) and Zambia (12.5%) underscore the need for intensive interventions at its borders in the East and South to prevent the rapid upward trajectory of HIV transmission. Already, areas bordering Namibia, such as Cunene and Kuando Kubango as well as Bie in the central region are characterized by higher HIV prevalence compared with the rest of the country, making HIV prevention, treatment and care in Angola a priority. The Government of the Republic of Angola and PEPFAR have called for a focus on highly effective HIV intervention models and support for institutional capacity building in order to improve the quality and coverage of HIV services throughout the HIV cascade, particularly for priority and key populations. Consistent with this approach, the proposed program will serve military personnel in the Angolan Armed Forces by supporting programming for (1) targeted HIV Testing Services in both VCT co-located facilities and community settings, (2) HIV/AIDS Care and Treatment in accordance with Test and Start, (3) HIV clinical monitoring systems including patient-level tracking, (4) Clinical Laboratory Support, including support for specialized lab procedures such as viral load and (5) Other Prevention such as Positive Health Dignity and Prevention (PHDP). Simply stated, the overall goal of this program is to support Angola to reduce the number of new HIV infections and other sexually transmitted infections among members of the Angolan military, their families, and the civilian communities served by the military health directorate.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jun 29, 2018
- Source ID
- N002441810006
Entities
People
- Kwa Sey