The INFO Project Blog

Yesterday I was fortunate enough to attend the ACQUIRE End of Project event this past week. l was there to promote the Resources for HIV and SRH Integration Website.  Betty Farrell, Senior Medical Associate for Integration, EngenderHealth commented that you could find many ACQUIRE documents and tools on the Integration Web site.  You can also read an interview with Betty Farrell on the “Voices from the Field” Section of the site.  Prior to the integration session, there was a plenary panel consisting of Dr. Fred Ndede, Engenderhealth/Kenya and Nancy Russell, Senior Technical Advisor for Community Linkages, ACQUIRE Project/CARE.  The panel discussed the work that ACQUIRE has done in promoting IUD uptake in the Kisii district of Kenya.  The panel discussed how they used ACQUIRE’s Supply/Demand/Advocacy Programming model to increase the supply of IUDs, increase demand through countering myths and training trainers and to engage stakeholders in needs assessments.

 A panel discussed the results of ACQUIRE’s pilot integration programs in both Ghana and Uganda (see attached presentation notes).  ACQUIRE’s integration model consists of a five levels, level A-E of integration.  With each progressive level, additional contraceptive methods are offered and the method mix is increased.  For example, in level C the ART clinic offers oral contraceptives, condoms, ECP and injectables while clinics integrated at Level D offer all of the aforementioned methods in addition to IUD.   ACQUIRE’s approach to integration is a 5 step approach, which includes identifying the level of integration that can be adopted, assessing the program’s capacity to support family planning, building or strengthening systems to support new services, identifying resources to support integration and phasing in FP methods to expand mix within an HIV program’s capacity. 

The panel, consisting of Betty Farrell, Laura Subramanian, Program Associate for Integration, Dr. Charles Ngobi, Director and Medical Coordinator, the AIDS Support Organization, Mbale, Uganda, and Grace Nagendi, FP/HIV Coordinator, EngenderHealth/Uganda.  The Ghana program, entitled “Family Planning for Health Living” engaged peer educators and providers to serve as role models in the PLHIV community and to advocate for FP uptake.  The Mbale pilot, which took place in 2006-2007 trained ART providers in family planning methods and counseling (including pills, injectables and ECP).  The Uganda pilot provided family planning to 605 additional clients through provision of integrated services.  Both pilots showed that PLHIV were satisfied to receive FP services from ART providers and that training, supervision, logistics, recordkeeping and referral systems were strengthened as a result of the intervention.

The presentation also outlined lessons that EngenderHealth learned as a result of the pilots mainly that strengthening systems is a key to successful integration and demand for FP among ART patients needs to be generated through FP awareness campaigns and peer educators.  The programs also found that stakeholder buy in from all stakeholders including providers and the community is necessary to create and maintain a supportive environment for integration.

During a delicious lunch, we had the opportunity to see a presentation of several of the ACQUIRE project’s media spots from Bangladesh and Ghana promoting vasectomy and Azerbaijan promoting healthy timing and spacing of pregnancy.  The audience also received a demonstration of the project’s new CD-ROM entitled “A Resource Package for Family Planning and Beyond: ACQUIRE’s Digital Archive.” Nancy Russel also discussed several real life “success stories” of clients in the developing world who have benefited from the services that the ACQUIRE project has provide. 

Finally, to close the day, Scott Radloff, Director of the Office of Population and Reproductive Health, USAID, discussed how long acting and permanent methods (LAPMs) are a crucial component of long-term population control and should be promoted as an integral part of family planning programs.