Joining Forces: Synergy of Donors and Partners for Better Evidence-Based Interventions

Addressing the Needs of Most at Risk Populations in Haiti

Pierre Louis Yves J. Gerard Md, MPH

Head of Program for PSI/H COP for PREVSIDA

July 26, 2012

Context

• Haiti is among those countries where the HIV epidemic is driven among specific sub-groups of the population that can be considered as a pool for the disease or virus

• In the context of Scarcity and lack of funding, donors want to focus prevention activity among these specific groups called MARPs

• USAID designed a specific project called PREVSIDA for a better understand of the HIV epidemic in Haiti among these specific groups

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PrevSida

• Signed on September 15th, 2010• Cooperative Agreement (Prevention for Populations

and Settings with High Risk Behaviors) with USAID for a four and half-years project: MARPs

• Use robust research findings to better target prevention efforts at settings and populations with high-risk behaviors.

• PSI/Haiti proposed the development of a high-quality, flexible evidence base to assist in project decision making.

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Challenges

• What are those places to find the MARPs so we can target them with specific activities particularly the MSM

• No existing data at the national level for the MARPS• Discrimination an stigmatization towards specific sub-

groups like the MSM and at a lower level for the CSW• Competitive donors or donor with different agenda

and priorities• Lack of funding, scarcity of resources

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Leadership of MSPP/PNLS

• While PSI was discussing the M&E and Research plan for PREVSIDA with the PNLS they decide that they will take that opportunity to have a better understanding of the HIV epidemic among MSM and FSWs at the national level

• That was not part of PSI/H plan (neither budget), but we decide that we can sell that idea to donors

• USAID did not have the opportunity to put more resources so we decide to put every potential donors and partners around the table to “Join Forces”

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Proposed studies

• PLACE study• TRaC for MSM and FSW that was transformed into

IBBS (Integrated Behavioral and Biological HIV Surveys) for MSM and FSW

• For the IBBS we will not look only for the prevalence of HIV but we will also that of other STIs like syphilis and genital herpes for FSW and Hepatitis B for MSM

• Estimation size of the MSM and CSW population

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RESULTS

Donors• USAID• KFW• UNDP/GF• Housing Works

Partners

• Departmental Health Directions• Direction of Social Affairs• National Public Health

Laboratory• FOSREF• SEROVIe• POZ• FEBS• UNAIDS

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As a result of those meeting, different donors and partners decided to join us

Conclusion• Even though we think we might have different agenda

this experience prove that we were wrong because we all could maybe take different path but we all want to get rid of HIV and the others STI’s

• What we need are opportunities to be in one place at the same time to share ideas and to put our forces together to go in the same direction

• What we also need is a strong interlocutor or leader that will convene everybody for a specific agenda for the good of the population

• This is HOW we will contain and why not eliminate HIV/AIDS

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THANK YOU

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