AEGiS-15IAC: Coordinating HIV/AIDS behavior change communication interventions in Haiti in the context of dramatic increase in international funding.

15th International AIDS Conference

Bangkok, Thailand - July 11-16, 2004

Coordinating HIV/AIDS behavior change communication interventions in Haiti in the context of dramatic increase in international funding.

Int Conf AIDS 2004 Jul 11-16; 15:(abstract no. TuPeE5316)

Lauredent E, Diop-Sidibe N, Chery Y, Ahanda K, Heerey M, Hempstone H
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health - Center for Communication Programs, Baltimore, United States

ISSUES: Grappling with a high HIV prevalence, 5% in the general population, Haiti has recently experienced an upsurge in international funding for HIV/AIDS programming. The country currently receives funds from GFATM, President Bush's AIDS initiative, USAID, and other multilateral and bilateral donors. This infusion of funds spurred the development of numerous programs. For example the Center for Communication Programs and the Health Communication Partnership (HCP) are executing five behavior change communication (BCC) programs with funding from USAID/Washington, USAID/Haiti and the Pfizer foundation. The dramatic increase in funding could have resulted in chaos had the Haitian government and its counterparts not developed unique coordination mechanisms to increase programs synergy and impact.

DESCRIPTION: This presentation examines the mechanisms implemented for HIV/AIDS BCC interventions, including: 1) the HIV/AIDS BCC technical working group; 2) the Technical Committees addressing "Research, monitoring and evaluation"," capacity building", and "coordination"; 3) the Coordinating Committee of seven members; 4) the coordinating role of HCP under leadership of the Ministry of Health. The dynamics between stakeholders are also discussed.

LESSONS LEARNED: Such a system breeds successes but also challenges. Successes include 1) a more rational use of funds; 2) an overall improvement of the quality of programs, and 3) the implementation of a more varied array of interventions. An important challenge however is the time the process can take, particularly when group consensus is desired.

RECOMMENDATIONS: In order for such mechanisms to be effective, it is important to 1) obtain documented recognition from the Government and donors, 2) appoint a strong and uncontested leadership, and 3) allocate adequate funds for a smooth functioning of the system. Another recommendation is to extend the mechanisms to the departments and ensure their full participation once the system is running steadily at the national level.

Keywords: AEGIS, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, HIV Seropositivity, HIV Infections, Prevalence, Government Agencies, Financial Management, Research, Health Planning Guidelines, Evaluation Studies, Haiti, Washington, economics

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