HIV/AIDS Care and Support Program PY 2 Semiannual Report, July 1–December 31, 2008

The program aims to expand comprehensive HIV & AIDS and tuberculosis (TB) prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and treatment services to 546 health centers and their surrounding communities. The program focuses on four key results: provision of quality HIV & AIDS prevention, diagnosis, and treatment services at health centers; deployment of case managers to support care and strengthen referrals between health centers, hospitals, and community services; deployment of outreach workers to support family-focused prevention, care, and treatment in the community; and implementation of HIV-prevention activities using best-practice ABC interventions incorporating stigma, discrimination, and gender concerns. Implementation modalities for the program include health system/network strengthening, referral system and referral system and related services in health centers, design of the performance-based financing (PBF) process for the public sector, performance-based contracts with the private sector, implementation of the fully functional service delivery point tool, management and leadership training, human resources development, strengthening laboratory services in targeted health centers providing HIV & AIDS-related services, and strengthening the logistics system. The program also focuses on mainstreaming gender into all health center activities and developing NGO capacity. Strategic information and quality assurance are also key components of the program. Challenges faced by the program include strengthening the logistics system, improving the referral system, and increasing the capacity of community-based organizations (CBOs) and faith-based organizations (FBOs) to deliver HIV & AIDS services. The program has made significant progress in achieving its results, including the deployment of case managers to support care and strengthen referrals between health centers, hospitals, and community services, and the implementation of HIV-prevention activities using best-practice ABC interventions incorporating stigma, discrimination, and gender concerns. The program has also strengthened the health system/network, referral system, and logistics system, and has improved the capacity of CBOs and FBOs to deliver HIV & AIDS services. The program has also made significant progress in mainstreaming gender into all health center activities and developing NGO capacity. Strategic information and quality assurance are also key components of the program. Challenges faced by the program include strengthening the logistics system, improving the referral system, and increasing the capacity of CBOs and FBOs to deliver HIV & AIDS services. The program has also made significant progress in strengthening laboratory services in targeted health centers providing HIV & AIDS-related services, and in implementing the fully functional service delivery point tool. Management and leadership training and human resources development are also key components of the program.