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CARITAS INTERNATIONLIS (CI)
2018 HIV DIAGNOSTICS

28. Equip, mobilize, and support faith leaders, FBOs, people in places of worship, and the wider community to create demand for testing of infants and children.

29. Combat stigma and discrimination among faith leaders and within communities of faith.

30. Further collaborate and coordinate community mobilization, education and outreach to find otherwise hard-to-reach children, adolescents, youth and adults for age appropriate prevention education, testing and linkage to treatment and health and social support services and integrate into the national system.

31. Ensure FBO participation in local and national diagnostic product/supplies forecasting.

32. Support and participate in national efforts to improve the use and impact of pediatric diagnostics and develop national strategies to optimize the use of new technologies and interventions.

33. Work to implement new HIVST modalities (such as oral fluid testing) in communities and homes, where national polices and regulations allow for lay implementation with children.

40. Improve case-finding approaches through religious services.

Updates

Caritas Internationalis and Caritas Nigeria (April 2018-March 2019):

After 12 months of intervention, Caritas Nigeria, in collaboration with Caritas Internationalis and within the framework of the UNAIDS-PEPFAR FBO Initiative, has trained 179 religious leaders (including 89 priests) covering 21 States in Nigeria (including the 6+1 UNAIDS Priority States). Trained clergy reached over 21.712 adults and 22.197 children aged 0-15 years with age-appropriate HIV messaging promoting diagnosis and treatment of children living with HIV. In addition, trained clergy referred 21.142 children for HIV testing with 21.130 being tested for HIV and 106 of those diagnosed HIV-positive were commenced on ART (49 F; 15 M less then 5 years; and 29 F; 13 M 50 to 10 years). Data include outputs of 3 medical outreaches conducted in the Diocese of Lafia (Akwanga, Kadarko, and Angwantashi), where, respectively: 299 beneficiaries were served (181 F; 108 M) and 4 HIV-positive cases identified (only one was a child M aged 0-5); 536 beneficiaries were served (310 F; 226 M) and there were 3 HIV-positive cases but only one child M was between 0-5; and 555 beneficiaries were served (259 F; 296 M) with 5 HIV-positive cases identified (only one F child 0-5).

 

Caritas Internationalis and Caritas DRC: DRC (September 2018-March 2019):

After 7 months of intervention, Caritas Congo ASBL, in collaboration with Caritas Internationalis and within the framework of the UNAIDS-PEPFAR FBO Initiative, trained 127 religious leaders (including 7 religious leaders of faiths and traditions different than Roman Catholic, as well as 53 healthcare workers of Catholic health facilities), 1 chief of police, 1 director of school and 2 directors of orphanages in 4 pastoral areas of the Diocese of Kisangani (Kisangani, Ubundu, Banalia and Yangambi). Trained religious leaders reached 18.124 children and adults with age-appropriate messaging; among them, 1.071 children (620 0-5 years; 451 6-14 years) were referred to local health facilities for testing. Among them, 27 have been detected HIV-positive (12 0-5 years; 15 6-14 years) but only 11 (6 0-5 years; 5 6-14 years) have been put under treatment (59% treatment gap).

2020 TB DIAGNOSTICS

38. Support and participate in national efforts to improve and integrate the use and impact of pediatric diagnostics for TB and HIV and develop national strategies to optimize the use of new technologies and interventions. 

Updates

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2020 HIV TREATMENT

71. Equip, mobilize, and support faith leaders, FBOs, people in places of worship, and the wider community to create awareness of the importance of HIV testing of infants and children of people living with HIV. Demand that national school curricula include scientifically appropriate information on HIV prevention, testing and treatment. 

 

72. Combat stigma and discrimination among faith leaders and within communities of faith around HIV prevention, testing and treatment. Create demand for client-centered and stigma-free care within health facilities as well as access to community-based treatment. 

 

73. Further collaborate and coordinate community mobilization, education and outreach to find otherwise hard-to-reach children, adolescents, youth and adults for age appropriate prevention education, testing, and linkage to and continuity of treatment, health, psycho-social and spiritual support services and integrate into the national system. 

Updates

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2018 HIV TREATMENT

52. Ensure FBO participation in local and national forecasting of optimal paediatric drug formulations.

53. Collaborate with GAP-f partners to develop, test, and disseminate training tools for treatment initiation with LPV/r and other optimal pediatric formulations.

54. Support and increase family treatment initiation and retention for children, adolescents, and families by:

  • Increasing identification and provision of same-day/same-appointment mother/infant pair treatment through FBO clinics;

  • Promoting male/father engagement in EMTCT programmes; and

  • Increasing stigma reduction interventions through mobilized faith leaders and faith communities

  • Providing social work interventions to assist fathers to support treatment and adherence of their partners and children living with HIV.

55. Foster and more actively participate in coordinated and collaborative advocacy to:

  • Increase funding for research & development, introduction and scale-up of priority pediatric drugs and formulations;

  • Accelerate regulatory processes for rapid adoption and uptake of optimal paediatric drugs and formulations; and

  • Ensure sustainable access to optimal testing and treatment for infants and children.

Updates

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2017 HIV TREATMENT

Action 10: Promote the revision of national procurement plans to align with WHO recommended regimens and the Optimal Formulary, and support the provision of reliable forecasts and the consolidation of orders.

Action 22: Support the early adoption of priority formulations and diagnostics and take steps to facilitate their wider roll-out, including by developing introductory guidance, materials, and other tools for health facilities.

Action 27. Mobilize their networks and work with communities to help build treatment literacy, generate demand, and expand access to ARVs among children.

Action 28. Raising awareness in global fora about the unmet diagnostic and treatment needs of children with HIV.

Action 29. Promote uptake by mobilizing their networks of hospitals and community structures to distribute paediatric medicines in hard to reach places and in situations of conflict and crisis.

Action 34. Increase efforts to share information on the roll-out of new paediatric formulations, including lessons learned.

Updates

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2020 TB TREATMENT

119. Advocate for and support Ministries of Health to rapidly transition to optimal paediatric formulations as outlined by the latest WHO guidelines, provide coordinated support for the development and implementation of transition plans, inform clinicians and patients of the value of transitioning to new formulations, and ensure communication of reliable information on the availability of new formulations in-country.

 

120. Support the scale up of access to priority formulations and diagnostics and take steps to facilitate their wider roll-out, including by performing operational research, developing introductory guidance and education, materials, and other tools for health facilities and local community health structures.

 

121. Promote the revision of national procurement plans to align with WHO recommended regimens and the EML-C, and support the provision of reliable forecasts and the consolidation of orders.

 

122. Mobilize their networks and work with communities to help build treatment literacy, generate demand, and expand access to TB diagnosis and treatment among children in close collaboration with other stakeholders.

 

123. Raise awareness in local, national, and global fora about the unmet diagnostic and treatment and prevention needs of children with or at risk for TB.

 

124. Foster and more actively participate in coordinated and collaborative advocacy to:

  • Increase funding for TB research & development, introduction and scale-up of priority paediatric drugs and formulations; 

  • Accelerate regulatory processes for rapid adoption and uptake of optimal paediatric TB drugs and formulations; and

  • Ensure sustainable access to optimal TB testing and treatment for infants and children.

 

125. Tackle the TB stigma and discrimination in communities, schools, and healthcare settings that prevent children and adolescents living with TB or at risk of TB from accessing testing and treatment, including promotion of awareness of the difference between infection and disease  and include messages of hope regarding treatment of both HIV and TB.

 

126. Promote uptake by mobilizing their networks of hospitals and community structures to distribute paediatric medicines in hard to reach places and in situations of conflict and crisis.

 

127. Support and increase TB treatment initiation and retention for children, adolescents, and families by:

  • Identifying all TB-exposed children and connecting them to treatment and preventive TB treatment through FBO clinics and within communities of faith; 

  • Reducing TB stigma and discrimination through mobilization and evidence-based education and training of faith leaders and faith communities

Updates

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