4th Quarter Report for FY16: Strengthening HIV/AIDS Services for Key Populations in PNG

However, HIV infection rates remain higher among key populations, including female sex workers, men who have sex with men, and transgender people. In 2012, FHI 360 signed a five-year cooperative agreement with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Philippines Mission to carry out the project, "Strengthening HIV/AIDS Services for Most-at-Risk Populations (MARPs) in PNG." The project aimed to reduce the incidence of HIV among key populations in PNG and mitigate the impact of HIV on these populations, their sexual partners, and their families. The project continued to provide routine service delivery through implementing partners and technical assistance to the Government of PNG during the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2016. Major landmark achievements were recorded in efforts towards the attainment of the UNAIDS 90:90:90 treatment goals. The implementation of the national algorithm for viral load monitoring began with a phased rollout of viral load services to three ART sites in the National Capital District, using wet samples. Discussions also began regarding the review of the PNG national HIV care and treatment guidelines to include 'test and treat' for general populations and other key recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. A multidisciplinary team composed of policy makers, service providers, and program officers from the National Department of Health, National Capital District Health Services, FHI 360, and project sites embarked on a learning visit to Cambodia to study the implementation of the Active Case Management (ACM) model and the 'finger prick' approach. Following the visit, a plan for the implementation of ACM in the National Capital District was developed. A group of eligible peer educators also went through a series of trainings in readiness for the rollout of 'finger prick' testing. The project continued to record significant improvement in Objective 1 results as Volunteer Services Overseas intensified the monitoring of its peer educators and commenced the implementation of night interventions. The eCascade (CommCare) was successfully piloted with five peer educators and is now ready for full rollout in the first quarter of fiscal year 2017. GBV services also received a boost during the quarter as the Sexual and Gender-based Violence (SGB) Clinical Guidelines was finally approved by the Senior Executive Management of the National Department of Health. Routine GBV screening services also started at Ela Beach Clinic. The project procured a number of laboratory equipment, including centrifuges, Pima machines, and a VDRL rotator, to support the monitoring of registered people living with HIV in both Direct Service Delivery and Technical Assistance sites. A national research and surveillance training was conducted in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National AIDS Council Secretariat, and WHO, targeting clinicians, data managers, and program officers from the National Department of Health and seven provinces to build national capacity in undertaking research. FHI 360 maintained its participation in meetings of Technical Working Groups on HIV, Strategic Information, TB, Gender, and Prevention/KPs, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Country Coordinating Mechanism, and the Development Partners' and Health Partners Fora. The project also experienced emerging challenges as funding issues with the National Department of Health resulted in stock-out of some laboratory commodities, including HIV Rapid Test Kits, CD4 cartridges and kits, viral load kits, and EDTA bottles. The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade also announced funding cuts to its HIV implementing partners, which is likely to affect supply chain management of laboratory commodities and ARVs, as well as laboratory services for viral load. The project submitted its Annual Implementation Plan and the Performance Monitoring Plan for fiscal year 2017. More than 95 percent of activities planned for fiscal year 2016 were successfully implemented by the end of the fiscal year. The project also facilitated the recruitment of a Case Management/M&E coordinator for the National Capital District Health Services to lead the implementation of active case management and strengthen reporting of HIV program statistics in the National Capital District.