GHARP Adherence Support and ABC Programs

OCTOBER 2008 — FHI/Guyana has worked to provide adherence support and promote the Abstinence, Be Faithful, Condom Use (ABC) approach.

The palliative/home-based care program led by GHARP partner Cicatelli Associates International was established in partnership with 11 local organizations, volunteers, and family members. Working with the Ministry of Health (MOH) and other partners, GHARP also led the process that resulted in the development of a home-based care (HBC) curriculum and program guidelines that are being used countrywide. GHARP supported organizations like Hope Foundation, a local NGO, as it faced a challenge in delivering antiretrovirals and tuberculosis medication. Many of the foundation’s clients were not adhering to their medication regimens because they could not afford to travel to Georgetown, where the medications were available. A partnership between GHARP and Citizens Bank supported an MOH medical team in traveling to locations convenient to patients to assist them with adherence and with issues related to TB/HIV co-infection. Project Manager Ivor Melville reports, “Today, clients have an improved quality of life. Clients are happy. Treatment is something they can now access. They are much more comfortable knowing they don’t have to travel and they can access help within their community.”

GHARP also took on the responsibility of communicating the Emergency Plan guidance for applying the Abstinence, Be Faithful, Condom Use (ABC) approach to preventing sexually transmitted HIV infections. A team from GHARP visited with 10 NGOs to review how their organizations had been executing ABC prevention programs. To help the NGOs comply with regulations, the project supported the preparation of a synopsis of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief: Final Guidance. An assessment questionnaire was also tailored to gather information from the NGOs and get a clear picture of the work they had conducted in disseminating ABC information. Both of these documents were the first of their kind and received excellent reviews, and the NGOs involved were enthusiastic about having a precise guidance document they could easily read and understand to help them select the types of activities they would conduct. They also appreciated the team visit, which allowed them to ask questions about areas in which they needed clarification. The guidance document and questionnaire were translated into French and shared with FHI country offices around the world.

PHOTO: A non-traditional condom sales location in Wismar, Linden, Region 10, Guyana.  (Christopher Jacques)