HIV/AIDS STRATEGIC INTERVENTION
KEY POINTS:
- HIV prevention programmes are interventions that aim to halt the transmission of HIV.
- HIV prevention programmes usually focus on preventing the transmission of HIV through a complementary combination of behavioural, biomedical and structural strategies.
- Despite the progress made by prevention programmes across the globe, the decline in new HIV infections among adults has slowed in the past decade, which indicates the need for increased funding and scale up of services.
- For maximum impact, HIV prevention programmes need to be targeted at high prevalence regions or ‘hot spots’, and also meet the needs of high-risk groups.
Combination strategic prevention advocacy for a holistic approach whereby HIV/AIDS prevention is not a single intervention (such as condom distribution) but the simultaneous use of complementary behavioural, biomedical and structural prevention strategies.
Combination prevention programmes consider factors specific to each setting, such as levels of infrastructure, local culture and traditions as well as populations most affected by HIV. They can be implemented at the individual, community and population levels.
Behavioural interventions seek to reduce the risk of HIV transmission by addressing risky behaviours. As such, behaviour change communication forms a basic component of combination prevention.
Effective behaviour interventions address the cultural contexts within which risk behaviours occur, and aim to stimulate uptake of HIV prevention services (often referred to as ‘demand generation’). These programmes often feature intensive approaches involving a combination of activities to address multiple outcomes, including knowledge, risk perception, norms, skills, sexual behaviours and HIV service demand.
A behavioural intervention may aim to reduce the number of sexual partners individuals have; improve treatment adherence among people living with HIV; increase the use of clean needles among people who inject drugs; or increase the consistent and correct use of condoms.
GCCYF carried out a project on HIV/AIDS organized by UNICEF in partnership with FCT Agency for the Control of AIDS (FACA) in Gwagwalada and Abaji Area Councils of FCT, where 40 peer champions were trained, oriented and selected. During the training, the peer champions were trained on HIV/AIDS transmission and prevention, Gender based violence, minimum practice and prevention intervention of HIV/AIDS which are the behavioral, biomedical and structural strategies to HIV/AIDS.
The campaign started on the 8th of July. The 40 peer recruited forty five (45) peers each making a total number of 1800 AYPs in both area councils.
The peer champions made use of MPPI during their sessions. Their behavioral strategy included the various topics treated at the sessions such as HIV/AIDS transmission and prevention, gender based violence, early marriage, condom use demonstration, friendship, teenage pregnancy, love and reasons for delay of sex.
HIV counseling and testing was carried out on the AYPs. We had 120 AYPs and 150 AYPs tested in Gwagwalada and Abaji area council respectively. In Zuba ward of Gwagwalada area council, a female tested positive, she was referred for further treatment and our success story is that the viral load in her body has reduced as she was constantly and regularly taking her drugs.