TB HIV/AIDS Prevention PROJECT
Working in collaboration with the National AIDS Programme Secretariat (NAPS) and the Health Sector Development Unit (HSDU) of the MOPH, the NCC managed and provided oversight for a defined package of prevention services and tests for HIV infection and other sexually transmitted infections using rapid diagnostic tests for female sex workers (FSWs), men who have sex with men (MSM) and Transgender (TG) women in Region 4.
Given the increasing demand for membership in the NCC and the recognition by Multi-Stakeholder partners that the organization could lead the Social Contracting for NGOs in the provision of a variety of services, the role of the organization has expanded. The NCC’s role has widened beyond coordination, shared advocacy, capacity building, resource mobilization, and limited technical service delivery to oversight for building and strengthening technical governance systems for its members.
Consecutive capacity assessments by USAID found that the NCC has the expertise to initiate, implement, and effectively monitor projects. NCC brings 20 years of experience in project management and monitoring, including for large-scale and complex national projects like the Guyana HIV/AIDS STI Youth Project which contributed to the reduction of HIV incidence in Guyana.
The goal of the Community HIV/Tuberculosis Control sub-project is to achieve the targets set by the National Tuberculosis and HIV Program. This will be done through community-level interventions that improve access, care, treatment, and education on HIV and Tuberculosis in targeted communities selected from six administrative regions.
The selected communities include Yarakita, White Water Creek, Wouna, Imbotero, Anabishi from Region #1, Puruni and Eteringbang from Region #7, and coastal communities in Regions #2 Essequibo Islands, Region #6 Berbice/Corentyne, New Amsterdam, Region #5, and Region #10.
The sub-project aims to synthesize and strengthen community-level initiatives for quality HIV and Tuberculosis services. This will reduce the incidence and prevalence of the diseases among key populations/high-risk groups, indigenous groups, migrants, miners, and persons living with HIV within the targeted communities from April 2022 to December 2024.
NCC will collaborate with NTP and NAPS to monitor client treatment and compliance. The default target rate reduction of 8% or less among new smear-positive cases registered for treatment will be achieved. This will also ensure that defaulters of HIV treatment are reengaged to improve adherence, and clients are retained into care and treatment programs.
The intervention will raise awareness among at-risk groups/key populations, miners, migrants, indigenous populations, and Persons Living with HIV and AIDS. The approach will include sensitization to encourage behavioral change. Educational information will be communicated through print, television, and social media to enable wider involvement.
Through collaboration with NCC members, such as Family Awareness Consciousness Togetherness (FACT), Linden Care Foundation, United Brick Layers (UBL), Hope For All (HFA), and Merundoi Incorporated, NCC will implement a multi-pronged approach to decrease the level of default in both HIV and TB clients and increase retrieval and access to TB and HIV services.
NCC designed its project goals and objectives to meet the needs of the NTP and NAPS, ensuring sustainability is built-in. The Community Tuberculosis Control and HIV prevention sub-project conceptualizes community-level initiatives and quality treatment and support strategies that draw on national programs and practices.
The activities will focus on identifying high-risk persons from the targeted communities, motivating them to test for TB and HIV, and linking them to treatment, care, and support, where appropriate. Evidence-driven data will identify the significant drivers of TB and HIV among key populations/high-risk groups, and tailored approaches will be employed to address identified drivers.
Our collaborative approach to outreach and prevention will be cost-efficient and effective. It will include drama-styled messages and the distribution of IEC materials tailored in the native language of the targeted communities to promote social and behavioral change.
