June Monthly Progress Report

The project aims to support the elimination of HIV transmission from parents to their babies and the scaling up of male circumcision in the region. ASH's activities in HIV/AIDS for the year focus on supporting these two focus areas. The Infectious Diseases specialist, Dr. Rudi Thetard, drafted a working paper on regional institutions and their roles in support of these activities. The paper reviews regional activities around HIV/AIDS and identifies key institutions that can support the elimination of mother-to-child transmission and the scaling up of male circumcision. ASH also supports the Infectious Diseases Surveillance and Response (IDSR) system, which is a critical component of the regional health system. The IDSR system is designed to detect and respond to infectious disease outbreaks in a timely and effective manner. ASH works closely with the USAID focal point for HIV and AIDS, Jenny Albertini, to support the IDSR system and to strengthen the capacity of regional institutions to respond to infectious disease outbreaks. In addition to its work on HIV/AIDS and IDSR, ASH also supports the Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (MNCH) program. The MNCH program aims to improve the health outcomes of mothers and children in the region by strengthening the capacity of regional institutions to provide high-quality maternal and child health services. ASH works closely with the MNCH specialist, Edna Jonas, to support the development of policies and programs that improve the health outcomes of mothers and children. ASH also engages in advocacy, communication, and dissemination activities to promote the project's goals and objectives. The project's advocacy strategy focuses on bringing all partners working in infectious disease surveillance under one IDSR strategy. ASH also works closely with the USAID/AFR team to organize sessions at the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) annual forum, which brings together African prime ministers, finance ministers, and trade ministers to discuss various themes in improving trade between the US and Africa. ASH has also made significant progress in implementing its project activities. The project has prepared a revised Project Management Plan (PMP) in light of the revised budget and project deliverables. ASH has also received a request from USAID to issue a grant to the University of Kinshasa School of Public Health to support the MPH and PhD Scholarship Program for one year. The project has communicated with the mission to get a scope of work and other relevant information about this program, and a grant agreement has been submitted to USAID for approval. ASH staff have also participated in various training and capacity-building activities, including a three-day training on the K4Health Project on Knowledge Management. The project has also held several staff meetings and COR meetings to discuss project progress and plan for future activities. Key activities planned for July 2012 include representing ASH at the HHA conference in Tunis, holding a retreat to plan for year 2, and attending sessions at the International AIDS Conference in Washington, DC.