DoD Forces Armees de Cote dIvoires (FACI) Partnership Program for Sustainable HIV Epidemic Control
Abstract
Population Services International (PSI)1 is pleased to submit the following proposal to the Department of Defense (DoD) HIV/AIDS Prevention Program (DHAPP) under Funding Opportunity Announcement N00244-19-S-FO02, for continued collaboration with the Government of Côte d’Ivoire (GoCI). The proposed activities build on PSI Côte d’Ivoire’s (PSI/CI) experiences working with the military in Côte d’Ivoire (CDI) and complement other President s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) programs currently being implemented. PSI/CI has worked alongside the Forces Armées de Côte d’Ivoire (FACI) since 2016 to implement quality HIV prevention, care, and treatment activities with exceptional results, including testing 30,978 military personnel and training 178 medical providers in HIV testing and counseling. The preliminary results of the Côte d’Ivoire Population-Based HIV Impact Assessment (CIPHIA) show progress toward the 95-95-95 UNAIDS targets. An estimated 88% of people with known HIV status are on antiretroviral therapy (ART) and 76% have achieved viral suppression.2 The country, however, is lagging in HIV case identification with only 37% of adults aged 15-64 knowing their status. Case identification is worse among men with only 24% knowing their HIV status compared to 43% of women. Military personnel and their partners are particularly vulnerable due to high mobility, concurrent partnerships, and being away from norms that regulate behavior in stable communities.3 To achieve epidemic control, the GoCI emphasizes continued expansion of HIV testing and treatment, particularly for the military, supporting integrating Test and Start in the military health system.4 The proposed project will reduce the number of new HIV infections and other sexually transmitted diseases and the number of deaths due to AIDS among FACI, their families, and civilian communities they serve, and help the military reach the UNAIDS 95-95-95 goals. PSI/CI will use an evidence-based approach, building on successful interventions of the current DoD-funded project in Côte d’Ivoire and other countries, to design targeted HIV testing, scaleup index-case testing, same-day initiation of ART, and increase adherence. Data collected through district health information systems (DHIS2) will inform implementation and facilitate decision-making. PSI/CI will build the FACI’s capacity, ensuring effective transfer of ownership. PSI/CI and local partner, Santé Espoir Vie-Côte d Ivoire (SEV-CI), will work closely with the FACI, its Health and Social Action Directorate (DSASA), its HIV Sectoral Committee (CSLS), and the Ministry of Health (MoH) to achieve these objectives: Reach 10,142 military personnel and 1,500 female sex workers (FSWs) with standardized evidence-based prevention interventions in Year 1 and achieve relevant targets throughout the project; Identify 1,279 military personnel and civilians living with HIV, with at least 30% of cases found through index testing, and the provision of HIV testing services (HTS) to 16,343 of the same population in Year 1 and achieve relevant targets throughout the project; Link at least 95% of military personnel and civilians living with HIV to care and treatment through the military and/or the public sector; Ensure that 95% of patients on ART achieve viral suppression; Provide technical assistance to CSLS through leadership and management training for the implementation of the 2018-2020 STI/HIV-AIDS Sectorial Strategic Plan by Year 2; Improve capacity and quality of military laboratories to achieve full laboratory accreditation over the life of the project; and Launch DHIS2 as the sole system to manage patient data on testing and tracking all HIV patients enrolled in care within the military system by the end of Year 1.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Feb 28, 2019
- Source ID
- N002441910006
Entities
People
- Marie Baptiste
Organizations
- United States Department of Defense