Jhpiego has
been awarded $16.5 million from the United States Agency
for International
Development, over five years, to provide support for a
program in Tanzania to increase access to and
use of HIV counseling and testing services. Knowing HIV
status is critical for preventing the spread of
the disease and for receiving life-extending treatment.
Jhpiego, with its partners Africare and T-MARC Company
Ltd., will provide innovative, high-
quality, community-based HIV counseling and testing
services for women and their families in
Tanzania. The coalition will work with hospitals and
clinics to help them implement the Tanzanian
government's new provider-initiated testing and counseling
strategy.
"For 15 years, Jhpiego has worked in Tanzania to help
improve the health of its citizens by
offering innovative, low-cost solutions to many of their
most challenging diseases," said Leslie
Mancuso, president and CEO of Jhpiego. "This generous
funding is necessary to continue to build
community involvement in preventing the devastating effects
of HIV/AIDS."
The goals of the program are to:
Rapidly increase access to quality
HIV counseling and testing services for all Tanzanians,
particularly those at high risk, by implementing health
providerŠinitiated testing and counseling
nationwide and by working with local civil service
organizations — including faith-based,
nongovernmental and community-based organizations —
for targeted outreach counseling and testing
services.
Develop provider skills for
quality counseling and testing-service delivery by using a
new onsite
training approach for facility-level service providers,
strengthening quality improvement systems and
advocating for and supporting the shift of HIV counseling
and testing duties to lay counselors.
Strengthen linkages to prevention,
care and treatment programs, and establish community care
and support for HIV-positive clients through the close
coordination with PEPFAR-supported care and
treatment partners, the reinforcement of referrals under
PITC and the establishment of post-test
support groups.
Create demand and mobilize
communities, including high-risk populations, for HIV
counseling and
testing by employing mass media and interpersonal
communication channels.
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