Last Quarter Events
HIV/AIDS
Eleven HIV/AIDS Best Practices Adopted Regionally
The Regional Dissemination Workshop on Promising and Best Practices in STI/HIV/AIDS in West and Central Africa was held in Accra, Ghana, from July 5-8, 2005. The Workshop, funded by USAID/WARP, was jointly organized by AWARE-HIV/AIDS and the West African Health Organization (WAHO). The goal of the workshop was to contribute to the strengthening of the regional HIV/AIDS response by facilitating the sharing of effective practices among countries and to adopt proven practice models for their replication across the region.
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The workshop was attended by more than 40 participants from 16 countries out of the 18 covered by USAID/WARP. These countries included: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, The Gambia and Togo. Each country was represented by its National AIDS Control Program (NACPs) and National AIDS Commission (NACs). Other participants included key partners, such as UNAIDS, UNHCR, UNICEF, WHO, Corridor Project, The World Bank, WANASO, NAP+, etc. The workshop resulted in the adoption of 11 HIV/AIDS Promising and Best Practices, and a plan for their dissemination.
USAID/WARP Supports STI/HIV/AIDS Prevention at Cross-Border Sites
Organized by AWARE-HIV/AIDS in conjunction with the West African Health Organization ( WAHO ) and Corridor Project, the regional workshop on STI/HIV/AIDS Prevention at Cross-Border Sites was held in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso from June 7-9, 2005. All 18 WARP countries were present: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, The Gambia and Togo.
Each country was represented by its national coordination bodies. Participants also came from regional programs and projects, including the Corridor Project, and CARE International's Rail Link. The workshop resulted in the review and adoption of the important document "Communication Strategies for Behavior Change for STI/HIV/AIDS Prevention on the Migratory Routes of West and Central Africa Reference Document" as well as the creation of coordinating body, chaired by AWARE-HIV/AIDS, which will monitor coordination of follow-on cross-border work.
Francophone Capacity to Conduct Situational Analysis of Orphaned and Vulnerable Children Supported
In order to reinforce the West African regional capacity to conduct situational analysis of Orphaned and Vulnerable Children (OVC), a training workshop was held in Dakar , Senegal from June 22- July 1, 2005, for 20 participants from the following Francophone countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, and Togo.
The workshop was a coordinated effort of the Regional OVC Consultative Group, comprised of AWARE-HIV/AIDS, UNICEF, Plan International, Save the Children-UK, Family Health International (FHI), HACI, and USAID/WARP. The ultimate goal of the workshop was to make available a group of highly skilled consultants specializing in OVC situational analysis, utilizing standardized assessment and planning tools in West and Central Africa.
Reproductive Health, Child Survival, and Infectious Diseases
More Effective Family Planning Messages at Cross-Border Sites
In order to better serve high-risk, itinerant and border populations, USAID/WARP, through its implementing partner, AWARE-RH, supported the selection of effective family planning messages that will be used at cross-border multi-service centers. These messages were selected during a week-long regional workshop held in Cotonou, Benin, June 16-24, 2005. Thirty-five participants attended the workshop from 10 West African countries, including: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Niger, and Togo. Senior officials, USAID/Benin, and The Principal Private Secretary, Ministry of Public Health inaugurated the training.
Policy Reform for Reproductive Health Security Moves Forward
In partnership with the West African Health Organization (WAHO), USAID/WARP sponsored a working meeting of the West African Reproductive Health Commodity Security (RHCS) Task Force. Held in Accra, Ghana from June 27-29, 2005, the meeting allowed stakeholders from the sub-region to review the second draft concept paper for a West African RHCS framework. Participants included representatives from USAID/WARP, UNFPA, the University Hospital of Souro Sanou in Burkina Faso, the Institute of Child Health of the University of Benin in Nigeria, the Federal Ministry of Health of Nigeria, WHO/AFRO, Ghana Health Service, IPPF/Africa Region, and the Ministry of Health, Guinea. The group finalized and approved the concept paper, which will be presented to the West African Ministers of Health at WAHO 's October annual meeting of Ministers of Health in Senegal. The final strategy paper will be finalized by the Task Force based upon feedback from the West African Ministers of Health.
Continued Support for Repositioning Family Planning in West Africa
USAID/WARP, through its implementing partner, AWARE-RH and the Ministry of Health, Sierra Leone supported a National Conference on Repositioning Family Planning from July 8-9, 2005.
| A similar National Conference was held in Niger from July 28-29, 2005. Both conferences were follow-up to the successful West African Conference on Repositioning Family Planning held in Accra, Ghana from February 15-18, 2005. These National Conferences allowed the respective Ministries of Health and reproductive health stakeholders (civil society, religious leaders, etc.) to finalize their national action plans, prioritize activities and assign roles and responsibilities for stakeholders. |
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Building Institutional Capacity to Reduce Maternal & Child Mortality
USAID/WARP sponsored two national workshops with Ministries of Health in Mali and Mauritania to train staff on the use of a new tool for calculating maternal deaths and post-birth medical complications. The tool, called REDUCE, was demonstrated through hands-on practical exercises with Ministry staff to show how the data can be used for info rmed decision-making, advocacy and planning in the public health sector. The workshops, the first, held in Mauritania, June 21-24, 2005 and the second, held in Bamako, Mali from June 27- July 1, 2005, were organized by AWARE-RH in collaboration with the respective Ministries of Health.
Improving Commodity Security for The Gambia
A team composed of AWARE-RH and USAID/GH/PRH/CSL senior staff provided technical assistance to The Ministry of Health, The Gambia to launch the development of a national reproductive health commodity security plan (RHCS). The delegation worked in-country with the Gambian Ministry of Health from July 4-18, 2005 to conduct a baseline assessment of The Gambia's current contraceptive management logistics system (CLMS) and to design the framework for the national commodity security plan. AWARE-RH will follow-up with the Gambian Ministry of Health and stakeholders to support the completion of the national RHCS plan, train health supervisors and storekeepers in contraceptive management, develop a plan for integrating contraceptives into the drug/vaccine supply system.
Capacity Development
USAID Strengthens the Voice of People Living with HIV/AIDS
USAID/WARP, through its implementing partner, AWARE-HIV/AIDS, convened a Regional Committee Meeting of the Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS West African Network (NAP+/WA) to launch the implementation of capacity-development for NAP+/ West Africa and discuss the strengthening of national networks in the sub-region. National Networks of People Living with HIV/AIDS were well represented with 16 of the countries covered by USAID/ WARP : REBAP+, Benin; REGIPIV-BF, Burkina Faso; RECAP+, Cameroon; RNTP+, Chad; RIP+, Côte d'Ivoire; Good Will Aid/NAP+, Ghana; AGUIP+, Guinea; Guinea-Bissau; Light Association, Liberia; Mali; Mauritania; RENIP+, Niger; RNP+, Senegal; HACSA, Sierra Leone; The Gambia; and RAS+, Togo.
The meeting, held in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, allowed participants to review and approve the mandate of RAP+/WA and to share experiences between strong national networks (i.e. Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire) and nascent networks (i.e. Ghana and Niger). The meeting also allowed time to finalize details of follow-up in-country visits by RAP+/WA and national associations to support the nascent networks in Ghana and Niger.
Building Capacity of West African National AIDS Services Networks
USAID/WARP's implementing partner, AWARE-HIV/AIDS, convened a meeting of the West African Network of AIDS Service Organizations (WANASO) to review the structure of the West African network. The meeting, held May 23-27 in Bamako, Mali allowed national networks to share their administrative structure and to develop more effective models for networking the many groups involved within the national level and the sub-regional West African level. All of WANASO's 16 members are National Networks of AIDS service providers, including the following countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Senegal, The Gambia, and Togo. In addition, Cameroon and Chad attended as part of the USAID/WARP and AWARE-HIV/AIDS coverage countries.
Upcoming Events
HIV/AIDS
Regional STI Training Workshop on Syndromic Management Approach- Lome, Togo August 1-8, 2005
As part of its integration of VCT, STI and Family Planning services at sites on the transport corridor project, AWARE HIV/AIDS's associate partner, JHPIEGO, will organized training on STI for healthworkers from Burkina Faso, Cote d' Ivoire, Niger, Togo, Cameroon, Chad, working onsite.
Practical Training on Integrated Cross-Border VCT Activities, Lome, Togo, Niamey, Niger, August 8-25, 2005
As a follow up to the Togo workshop on STI training, training sessions on VCT will take place in both countries simultaneously.
PREPARATORY WORKSHOP FOR THE CARAVAN
Dakar, Senegal 10th-12th August, 2005
The Workshop is organised by The Regional Coordination of the Religious Networks in the Campaign against HIV/AIDS and AWARE-HIV/AIDS; and in collaboration with the Networks of Persons living with HIV, the Regional Coordination of the Network of Journalists for the fight against AIDS, CORRIDOR Project, WAHO, USAID/WARP, Care International, SARA Project. The Host Institution is National council for the Fight against HIV/AIDS in Senegal.
A caravan with religious leaders - Muslims, Catholics and Protestants - people living with HIV/AIDS and journalists is planned to start on 4 November in Mauritania and will travel through Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and end in Abuja, Nigeria in order to coincide with the beginning of the International Conference on AIDS and Sexually-Transmitted Infections in Africa (ICASA) on December 04, 2005. The Regional Network of Religious Leaders set up in Nouakchott in February is to play a key role in this event.
First Regional Training Workshop in HIV/AIDS Care and Treatment - Kumasi, Ghana, 5-16 September, 2005
A regional training session on HIV/AIDS care and treatment will be organized ss part of the activities of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital that are supported by USAID/WARP. Multidisciplinary health care teams from Sierra Leone, Liberia and Gambia will participate in the training.
Regional Workshop Against Stigmatization and Discrimination for Women's HIV/AIDS Networks - Accra, Ghana, September, 2005
This workshop is organized in collaboration with SWAA international. Participants will be coming from Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Mauritania, Mali, Nigeria, Guinea, and Gambia. It will contribute to the fight against stigma and discrimination in the region and facilitate the adaptation and adoption of the Model Law in 9 countries in the region.
Regional Promising and Best Practices (PBP) Dissemination Workshop on Community Health Financing Model to Fight HIV/AIDS, Douala, Cameroon- October 24-28, 2005
This meeting will disseminate the PBPs selected during the Accra workshop in April and document them. The workshop will be organized in partnership with stakeholders in the region.
REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH
Regional Workshop on Insecticide Treated Mosquito Nets - August 29-September 3, Accra, Ghana
USAID/ WARP is supporting a West African regional meeting to standardize taxes and tariffs on insecticide treated mosquito nets. The workshop will be organized by the West African Health Organization (WAHO) and NetMark.
Reproductive Health Commodity Security Technical Assistance to Togo- July 25-August 4
USAID/WARP, through its implementing partner, AWARE-RH will support technical assistance to the Government of Togo in order to create a comprehensive contraceptive procurement plan for 2005-2008.
Workshop to Standardize Skills and Approaches for Post-Abortion Care - August 8-12, Dakar, Senegal
In collaboration with Regional Training Center for Research in Reproductive Health (CEFOREP), AWARE-RH will organize a five-day regional conference in Dakar, Senegal, August 8-12, 2005 to discuss standardization of approaches and knowledge in post-abortion care, highlighting the work in the following countries: Burkina Faso, Guinea and Senegal. Replication of skills and approaches will be targeted to Cape Verde, Chad, Guinea Bissau, Mali, and Niger.
Niger Joint Commodity Security Mission with UNFPA - August 2005.
In collaboration with UNFPA-Niger, AWARE-RH will provide technical assistance to the Ministry of Health, Niger to conduct a baseline assessment of its contraceptive management logistics system.
"Consulting for Results" Workshop - August 27- August 31, 2005, Dakar, Senegal
AWARE-RH, as part of its USAID/WARP-funded initiative to build the capacity of West African health institutions, will convene a 3-day workshop on "Consulting for Results". As part of a series of capacity-building training programs, this workshop will focus on instituting systems and procedures to track change and results of donor-funded contracts and grants.
CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT
Management and Structure of a National Network Workshop -Accra, Ghana, September 5-9, 2005
As continued capacity development to West African regional networks, AWARE-HIV/AIDS will conduct a series of training workshops on the structure of an effective national network. |
