PRESENTED BY STEVEN Z. KORVAH, JR. PROGRAMME OFFICER

The Church’s Response to the Scaling up of HIV Prevention and Care in Liberia Experience of The Lutheran Church in LiberiaHIV AND AIDS PROGRAMME PRESENTED BY STEVEN Z. KORVAH, JR. PROGRAMME OFFICER

MAP OF LIBERIA

PURPOSE • Provide a thorough information on the intervention of the an HIV and AIDS Programme in the Church; • Share experiences and lessons learnt from the intervention of the Lutheran Church in Liberia;

PREVALENCE In 2003: 8.2% (NACP, 2003) In 2007: 5.7% (2006 ANC Sentinel surveillance Report, NACP, 2007) In 2007: 1.5% - 2.5%(Urban) and 0.8%(Rural): LISGIS,2007

PREVALENCEcont’d • Population of 3.4m; LISGIS 2008 Census Report • About 64% poverty rate (live on less than 1USD/day; LISGIS, 2009; Census Report)

Goal • To contribute to the National AIDS Control Program's goal, which aims to promote a positive change of behaviour and reduce the psychosocial impact of HIV and AIDS on the individual and the society.

Sub-goals • To mobilize grassroots communities for a holistic community–based response to HIV and AIDS • To prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS through behaviour change especially among young people

Sub-goals cont’d • To improve the quality of life of people living with HIV through empowerment and creating an environment of care and support • To improve the institutional capacity of the LCL AIDS Programme to deliver on the above objectives

Beneficiaries • People living with HIV (PLHIV) and their families • Orphans • Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) • Trained Traditional Midwives (TTMs) • Zoes (Hard-to-reach grassroots population)

Beneficiaries cont’d • Health workers • Religious leaders (pastors, evangelists, deacons, imams, etc.) • Military and Para-military personnel • Teachers and students • Out-of-school youths

Beneficiaries cont’d • Mobile population (Internally Displaced Persons and Refugees), • Faith Based Organizations (FBOs), • Community Based Organizations (CBOs) and networks, etc.

Activities/Interventions Counselors’ Training

Activities/Interventions cont’d • Establishment of Voluntary Counseling and Testing Centers Meeting of Counselors

Activities/Interventions cont’d Community based Support Group Family Support Group Support Group training Community Outreach

Activities/Interventions cont’d • Orphan Support

Activities/Interventions cont’d • Training and Community Involvement Trained Traditional Midwives, Traditional Birth Attendants and Zoes Male Zoes Health & Social Workers Students

PLHIV Empowerment Skill Training Graduate – Computer operation Income Generation Activity

Activities/Interventions cont’d • Partnership (WFP, UNHCR, LISGIS

Challenges • Bad roads condition for travels

Relationship between Awareness and Behaviour Change in the Past Behaviour change Knowledge/ Information Attitudes

“The difficulty lies not in new ideas, but in escaping the old.” John M. Keynes

Experiences and Lessons Learnt • Mobile clinic gives access to HIV counseling and testing to hard to reach or inaccessible communities (i.e. communities lack access to health care services);

Experiences and Lessons Learnt cont’d • Condom distribution with proper and adequate information promote behavior change especially amongst young people; thus reducing the occurrence of sexually transmitted infections;

Experiences and Lessons Learnt cont’d • Involvement of community residents in HIV & AIDS related activities facilitate universal access for all and ownership. • Involvement of PLHIV in all aspects means there is less distinction between those providing the services and the beneficiaries irrespective of their HIV status. This is a gateway to inclusion in the workforce;

Experiences and Lessons Learnt cont’d • Empowerment of people living with HIV (PLHIV) with knowledge and skills in financial management and planning before engaging in income generating activities enhances productivity and thus leads to self-reliance and good decision making in emergency situation;

THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS YOU ALL Steven Z. Korvah, Jr. LCL HIV & AIDS PROGRAMME-Liberia

PRESENTED BY STEVEN Z. KORVAH, JR. PROGRAMME OFFICER