Building capacity in Cote d'Ivoire: LO Model - delivering quality and scale

The country has a population of 17 million, with an HIV prevalence rate of 4.7%. Approximately 750,000 people live with HIV, including 74,000 children aged 0-14 and 440,000 orphans due to AIDS. The national intermediary organisation supports NGOs, CBOs, and FBOs in prevention, VCT, treatment, care and support, and OVC activities. The LO Model in Cote d'Ivoire was established in 2005, with the country director recruited in April of that year. The first round of sub-grants was disbursed in June, and the CO was officially registered in August. The LO Statutes and By-Laws were finalised in October, and the program was officially launched in November. The first 18 months of the CO-LO transition were marked by significant milestones, including the transition of CO staff to LO staff, the official registration of the LO with authorities, and the development of linkages between program activities and stigma and discrimination. The LO Model in Cote d'Ivoire focused on rapid start-up, with a focus on HIV/AIDS technical capacity, financial and onward grants management training, service delivery, and south-to-south support. Geographical coverage of interventions included prevention, community mobilization around PMTCT, VCTs, care and support to PLHA, care for OVCs, and care and support to people co-infected with HIV/TB. Achievements of the program included the disbursal of more than 125 grants worth $1.9 million, the refurbishment and training of 123 counsellors at 22 VCT centres reaching nearly 50,000 people, the mobilisation of new resources in-country, and partnerships with the Ministry for AIDS and others.