HIV/AIDS and Sexual and Reproductive Health Integration: Quarterly Highlights Newsletter (June 2009)
Contents
Family planning and HIV Integration Forum: Experiences and Evidence
The Family Planning and HIV Integration community within the IBP Knowledge Gateway hosted the "FP and HIV Service Integration: Experiences and Evidence" forum during the week of June 1-5, 2009. The one week forum sponsored by EngenderHealth, Family Health International, MEASURE Evaluation & the K4H Project (JHU/CCP) focused on common language of integration, best practices & lessons learned and M&E of integration services.
Throughout the week, participants were encouraged to send questions or comments to the experts, as well as submit their own experiences, findings or lessons learned on the topic of the day. The experts -Rose Wilcher, Senior Technical Officer at Family Health International, Betty Farrell, Senior Technical Advisor for Integration at EngenderHealth and Heidi Reynolds, Senior Technical Specialist HIV/AIDS at MEASURE Evaluation - presented interesting issues to reflect on related FP HIV integration services while using their own experiences as examples.
|
Looking for more information? Try these searches (just paste the URLs in your Web browser to search the HIV/SRH Integration database):
Dual Method Use and Discordant Couples Female-Controlled Methods of HIV/Pregnancy Prevention Still Researched Male Circumcision and HIV Prevention Integrated Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health |
Promising Practices II: HIV and AIDS integrated programming.
Author: Catholic Relief Services [CRS]
Source: Baltimore, Maryland, CRS, 2008. 182 p.
URL: http://www.coregroup.org/imci/resources/2A4_Promising%20Practices%20II%20Final.pdf
When programming services to people affected and infected with HIV and AIDS, it has become increasingly apparent that the issues that affect their livelihoods are complex and can vary greatly depending on the context. HIV is well documented as a disease that needs interventions from a multitude of sectors (i.e. agriculture, education, rights based initiatives) and through various players (i.e. national and local government, private health centers, community leaders, etc.). This is made more complex by the need to find funding that supports the needs of those affected by HIV and AIDS and simultaneously support the predetermined goals of the donors. The amount of response that is needed is often overwhelming and there has been a demand from Catholic Relief Services (CRS) program managers on how to best address these issues. CRS recognizes these programs cannot be 'cookie cutter' and that programs that have the most impact are ones that are specialized to fit the needs of those in each of the communities. In order to facilitate sharing of lessons learned among CRS Country Offices and contribute to documentation of promising practices in this area of programming, this manual has compiled a sample of programs from around the world. The first edition of Promising Practices in 2006 was well received by country programs and partner staff. Therefore, a second edition of Promising Practices was planned for 2008. This second version contains 24 case studies of promising HIV and AIDS practices from around the world. Each case study is organized in much the same way, including sections on how the project works, what the successes have been, and what lessons learned have emerged. At the end of each case study is the contact information for the relevant programs. Please contact the local programs directly for any additional information. (excerpt)
Integrating HIV care and HIV prevention: Legal, policy and programmatic recommendations
Author: Remien RH; Berkman A; Myer L; Bastos FI; Kagee A
Source: AIDS. 2008;22 Suppl 2:S57-S65.
Since the start of the HIV epidemic we have witnessed significant advances in our understanding of the impact of HIV disease worldwide. Furthermore, breakthroughs in treatment and the rapid expansion of HIV care and treatment programmes in heavily impacted countries over the past 5 years are potentially critical assets in a comprehensive approach to controlling the continued spread of HIV globally. A strategic approach to controlling the epidemic requires continued and comparable expansion and integration of care, treatment and prevention programmes. As every new infection involves transmission, whether vertically or horizontally, from a person living with HIV/ AIDS (PLWHA), the integration of HIV prevention into HIV care settings has the potential to prevent thousands of new infections, as well as to improve the lives of PLWHA. In this paper, we highlight how to better utilize opportunities created by the antiretroviral roll-out to achieve more effective prevention, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. We offer specific recommendations for action in the domains of healthcare policy and practice in order better to utilize the advances in HIV treatment to advance HIV prevention. (Author's)
Integrating cervical cancer prevention in HIV/AIDS treatment and care programmes [letter]
Authors: Mwanahamuntu MH; Sahasrabuddhe VV; Stringer JS; Parham GP
Source: Bulletin of the World Health Organization. 2008 Aug;86(8):D-E.
URL: http://www.scielosp.org/scielo.php?pid=S0042-96862008000800030&script=sci_arttext
Author: Boonstra HD
Source: Guttmacher Policy Review. 2008 Fall;11(4):7-10
URL: http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/gpr/11/4/gpr110407.pdf
In line with President Bush's personal commitment, Congress recently voted to reauthorize the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). In addition to calling for a major increase in U.S. spending on international AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria activities, the new legislation supports linkages-either directly or by referral-with a long list of ancillary services that often affect AIDS-impacted individuals and families, including nutrition, access to safe water and sanitation, substance abuse and treatment services, and legal services. It also expands programs aimed at addressing the factors that drive the pandemic for women, including initiatives to reduce gender-based violence and empower women economically. The new version of PEPFAR, with its broader development mission, has been hailed as a significant achievement and one of the most positive legacies of the Bush administration. Despite these impressive gains, there is one critical set of linkages that is lacking in U.S. global AIDS policy: linkages between HIV and reproductive health services. During the long reauthorization process, a diverse set of organizations-from CARE to the International Women's Health Coalition to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation-pushed for but ultimately failed to secure measures that would have strengthened the role of family planning service providers in providing HIV prevention services and would have encouraged the provision of contraceptive counseling, referral and even direct services in dedicated HIV programs. (excerpt)
The Global Fund supports reproductive health commodity security
Authors: John Snow [JSI]. DELIVER
Source: Arlington, Virginia, JSI, DELIVER, 2008. 5 p. :
URL: http://deliver.jsi.com/dlvr_content/resources/allpubs/logisticsbriefs/GlobFundSuppRHCS.pdf
Authors: Population Council. Frontiers in Reproductive Health
Source: Washington, DC, Population Council, 2008. viii, 156 p.
URL: http://www.popcouncil.org/pdfs/frontiers/Manuals/AIM.pdf
The Assessing Integration Methodology (AIM) was developed to guide decisions regarding the feasibility, quality, and effectiveness of specific service combinations. The AIM handbook covers integration of family planning with the following services: HIV counseling and testing; Postabortion care; Antenatal care; Detection and management of sexually transmitted infections; Postpartum care. Decisionmakers can use the AIM handbook to assess the feasibility of linking services, identify programmatic or structural barriers to integration, pilot-test approaches to integrating services, evaluate the effect of linked or integrated services, and assess and evaluate the costs of models to integrate services. The handbook includes data-collecting forms to support and evaluate integration efforts, including forms for client and provider interviews, service and equipment inventory, and other documentation forms.
Authors: Program for Appropriate Technology in Health [PATH]
Source: New Delhi, India, PATH, 2007 Mar. 11 p.
URL: http://www.path.org/files/CP_india_convg_pol_update2.pdf
In India, the terms "integration," "mainstreaming," and "convergence" are often used synonymously and interchangeably by the National Health Policy, the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), and the National AIDS Control Programme (NACP-III). The word convergence is beginning to be widely used in the context of HIV and sexual reproductive health (SRH) services by both the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW). But what does convergence mean? At a basic level, HIV-SRH convergence entails mutual referrals and communication activities between these two services, enabling communication on HIV issues and relevant referrals within SRH settings and vice-versa. Second, converging HIV and SRH services means paying attention to dual-purpose interventions such as diagnosis and treatment of reproductive tract infections (RTIs) and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), counselling and provision of male and female condoms, preventing parent-to-child transmission (PPTCT) services, and HPV vaccination. Third, and more comprehensively, HIV-SRH service convergence means provision of partially integrated services such as adding voluntary counselling and testing to family planning services, introducing family planning services in HIV clinics - and providing SRH counselling, HIV counselling and life-skills, and sexuality education in both. An example of partially integrated services in the Indian context is the proposed setting up of integrated counselling and testing centres (ICTCs) in the NACP-III programme. (excerpt)
Sexually transmitted infections in developing countries: Current concepts and strategies on improving STI prevention, treatment, and control.
Authors: Kamb ML; Lackritz E; Mark J; Jackson DB; Andrews HL
Source: [Atlanta, Georgia], United States Centers for Disease Control [CDC], [2007]. [59] p.
The global burden of sexually-transmitted infections (STIs) to health and development is often overlooked as a public health priority. The majority of STIs worldwide are caused by eight infections: syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, trichomoniasis, genital herpes, hepatitis B virus (HBV), and human papillomavirus (HPV). These infections, often silent and without symptoms, can result in serious or fatal health consequences. Cervical cancer, caused by HPV, is the largest single cause of years of life lost to cancer in the developing world and, because it affects women in their most productive years, has a devastating effect on the well-being of families. Syphilis among pregnant women still results in up to 1.5 million perinatal deaths each year. Damage to the fallopian tubes from gonorrhea and chlamydia can lead to infertility, as well as tubal pregnancy, an important cause of maternal death in developing countries. Hepatitis B, most frequently transmitted from mother-to-child in endemic areas, can result in chronic infection, liver cancer and liver failure. Genital herpes and other genital ulcer diseases increase risk of HIV transmission. (excerpt)
Events
This section lists upcoming public health conferences, meetings, or other events that include activities and information concerning HIV/AIDS and Sexual and Reproductive Health Integration. If you know of an upcoming event that may be of interest to HIV/SRH Integration professionals, please e-mail info@hivandsrh.org.
11th International Union Against Sexually Transmitted Infections World Congress, Africa 2009, Cape Town, South Africa. November 9-12, 2009.
URL: http://www.iusti.co.za/
Subscription Information
Quarterly Highlights is a free electronic newsletter, distributed by e-mail four times a year, and archived on http://www.hivandsrh.org. To subscribe, visit http://www.infoforhealth.org and register to set up a free account. Under "Subscriptions," select "HIV and SRH Integration Web Site News."
Interested in submitting resources to the HIV/SRH Integration Web site or sharing a story with us about your country or organization's experience with integrating programs? Please send e-mail to: info@hivandsrh.org.
How to Request Copies of Full-Text Documents
Developing country users can request full-text copies of many of the documents listed in Quarterly Highlights. To request a copy of a document, click on the document URL or copy and paste the URL into your Web browser. You will be redirected to the Integration database, where you can add a document to your shopping "basket" after you set up a free user account.
HIV/AIDS and Sexual and Reproductive Health Integration: Quarterly Highlights is published by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health/Center for Communication Programs. It is made possible through funding from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.