HIV/AIDS Program Summary
Program Title: Towards Universal Access to HIV/AIDS Prevention, Treatment, Care and Social Support for Vulnerable and Underserved Population
1. Justification:
The overall goal of the proposal is to maintain the incidence of HIV/AIDS in Romania at the low level of 2005 by targeting vulnerable populations and young people living with HIV/AIDS (YPLWHA) with effective interventions.
The objectives of the proposal are to increase the access of vulnerable and poor populations to prevention and treatment services, and to ensure the adequate combination of services and support for YPLWHA to avoid a second wave of the epidemic in Romania.
The proposal also envisages efficient and effective implementation of the Program activities. Increased access to prevention, treatment, care and support services for the vulnerable and underserved populations will be pursued through strengthening and expanding the scale, scope and coverage of existing efforts beyond the achievements of the earlier Global Fund's Round 2 HIV/AIDS grant.
Providing support to YPLWHA is a unique and urgent challenge for Romania. More than 7,000 adolescents living with HIV/AIDS are now in the age group 16-19. In addition, they need support for continuing education, job and vocational training and, in some cases, housing. Program activities will also focus on regular collection of behavioral and surveillance data for vulnerable populations such as injecting drug users (IDUs), commercial sex workers (CSWs) and men who have sex with men (MSM).
To date, no such data exists, nor do many of the local partners possess the capacity to collect it. This grant will be used to build this capacity, capturing relevant data twice during the three years of implementation. The information will be used to support the design and evaluate the impact of prevention interventions and services in the country.
This program is building on the partnership established between government and non-government organizations and between service providers and service beneficiaries. It also focuses on continuation of building capacity at the local level for implementing and sustaining long-term effective interventions with the participation of all stakeholders.
The program is based on the commitment of the government of Romania to continue funding prevention efforts among young people and the treatment and care of people infected and affected with HIV. It is also based on the government's commitment to begin as soon as possible to gradually take over the costs of prevention intervention efforts targeting vulnerable populations.
2. Goal and Objectives: The overall goal of the Program is to maintain the incidence of HIV in Romania at the low levels of 2005 by targeting vulnerable groups and YPLWHA with effective interventions.
The achievement of the Program goal will be pursued through three main objectives:
- The first objective is concentrated on further expanding the prevention interventions targeting vulnerable groups and enhancing services that may reduce their vulnerability to HIV/AIDS. Importantly, the planned activities relate to the efforts to adapt and better implement the national HIV/AIDS policies and strategies at the local level in the most affected areas.
- The second objective is focused on YPLWHA and aims to diversify the range of services to be provided to them. These will focus on the positive prevention concept including programs to provide life skills education, access to jobs, education and vocational training, housing, as well as family planning and reproductive health and prevention of mother-to-child transmission services.
- The third objective focuses on the efficient and effective implementation of the grant. The related activities envisage provision of technical assistance to sub-recipients, coordination of monitoring and evaluation efforts to avoid gaps or duplication of activities, development and implementation of a communication strategy to increase the visibility of the program activities, and coordination of the national advocacy efforts to ensure government funding for continuing the services following the Program end.
3. Target Group/Beneficiaries:
- Injecting drug users
- Commercial sex workers
- Men who have sex with men ·
- Roma
- Prisoners
- Street children and youth
- Young people living with HIV/AIDS
4. Strategies: The program activities were developed based on the analysis of the national context done during the mid-term review of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (March 2006) and other related processes (Universal Access Initiative, UNGASS reporting). The reviews undertaken showed that community outreach to vulnerable groups (IDUs, CWSs, MSM, Roma population, prisoners, and street children and youth) and YPLWHA, combined with provision of access to services and reduction of stigma and discrimination, represent the best strategy to face the challenges of HIV/AIDS in Romania not covered by other programs.
5. Planned Activities:
- Community outreach and behavior change activities for injecting drug users, commercial sex workers, men who have sex with men, prisoners, Roma, street children. Prevention services will be tailored to the specific target groups and depending on the target group, will include distribution of condoms, clean injecting equipment, IEC materials, peer education, psycho-social counseling, referral to voluntary counseling and testing services, and medical and social services· Voluntary testing and counseling services for vulnerable groups
- IEC sessions for vulnerable populations temporarily in police arrests to ensure increased access to HIV prevention services
- Monitoring the implementation of harm reduction and treatment standards on drug use in treatment and other assistance centers for drug users at the national level
- Advocacy activities at the national level related to HIV/AIDS and drug use in order to increase the quality and coverage of services, improve policies, and diversify services, as well as improve the legal and health policies related to HIV/AIDS
- Support for continuing education, social and professional integration for YPLWHA including life education and independent life skills, family planning counseling, vocational trainings, academic scholarships and housing
- Training of service providers to provide multi-disciplinary support to YPLWHA
- Strengthening activities for PLWHA groups
- Behavioral and sentinel surveillance activities for IDUs, CSWs, and MSM
