USAID Community Care Program (Programa de Cuidados Comunitários) Quarterly Report Nº. 7 – April - June 2012

The program is designed to improve the health and quality of life of people living with HIV (PLHIV), orphans and vulnerable children (OVC), and pre- or post-partum women. Working in close partnership with civil society organizations (CSOs), the Ministry of Health (MISAU), the Ministry of Women and Social Action (MMAS), and the private sector, the Program will strengthen the government's capacity to coordinate, manage, and oversee an integrated continuum of care and support. The program has achieved significant growth and expansion across all levels in the current quarter. Project coverage increased from 48 to 51 districts, achieving 98% of the targeted districts. Home-based care (HBC) served 10,436 clients, now achieving 82% of the Year 2 target. Care and support for OVC added 27,310 new OVC, achieving 62% of the Year 2 target. Economic strengthening activities also expanded with 52 new Village Savings and Loan (VS&L) Community Facilitators, bringing the total to 92 trained to date. The range of services available to all target groups continued to be broadened and strengthened. Nutrition services, HBC, and support for OVC, all provided through a comprehensive family approach, show positive trends. The Public Private Partnership within CCP between Project HOPE and Mcel for its mHealth initiative came to fruition this quarter with the official USAID launch. The initiative is currently being piloted in Manhiça District (Maputo Province) with project clients receiving cell phone messages supporting adherence to treatment, and other reminders they choose. CCP has completed an extensive inventory and database of grassroots community groups involved in care and support. This will be used to strengthen community-based responses for the project target groups with long-term sustainability in mind. Both Ministry partnerships were advanced by CCP initiatives this quarter. MMAS approved the Child Protection Comportment pledge, initiated by FHI 360, for national use. MISAU supports the Integrated Caregiver initiative: HBC and OVC support in one caregiver. Training and technical assistance for capacity building of services provision and program management is a core CCP component. This quarter, several trainings took place in all seven provinces. Data Quality Assessments served to both verify data, and to increase M&E skills at community level. The Referral/Counter-Referral tool is now used in 19 districts and is facilitating a growing focus on links between community and clinic services. Throughout the quarter, the consortium partners routinely exchanged valuable information as CCP moves into full implementation across the seven provinces. The project is reaching full stride with geographical growth, new partnerships, an expanded referral system, and stronger coordination. There are of course many challenges, but also many members of the community are benefiting from the comprehensive approach of CCP. The project team, composed of FHI 360, World Relief Corporation, Africare, and Project HOPE, is working to accomplish four objectives: 1) strengthen the organizational, technical, and leadership capabilities of CSOs and the public sector to deliver health and wrap-around services for groups targeted by the project; 2) strengthen coordination, collaboration, linkages, and partnership within and across sectors and develop efficient, innovative community-based service delivery; 3) increase the availability, accessibility, quality, and use of family-centered, age-appropriate, and gender-equitable care and support; 4) improve the capacity of vulnerable households to sustainably meet their own needs by strengthening livelihood, caregiving, and health-seeking skills. Six cross-cutting strategies are employed by the project to ensure the sustainability of project results, including: 1) community-driven approaches; 2) services integration; 3) capacity building and systems strengthening; 4) partnership and coordination; 5) performance improvement; and 6) gender-sensitive and age-appropriate interventions. The program has made significant progress in achieving its objectives, and it is expected to continue to make a positive impact on the lives of PLHIV, OVC, and pre- or post-partum women in Mozambique.