Behavior Change Interventions

for the prevention and control of

HIV/AIDS/STDs

among the populations at high risk

in Jhapa, Morang and Sunsari

Districts

  

Subproject FCO Number: 86400

 

 Final Report

for the period

October 11, 1999 to September 30, 2001

 

Submitted by

Association of Medical Doctors of Asia

(AMDA)

to

Family Health International, Nepal

 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:

First of all we would like to express our heartfelt thank to Family Health International Nepal and USAID/Nepal for accepting AMDA Nepal as implementing partner to execute Behavior Change Intervention program for Female Sex Worker and their Clients in eastern Nepal for the prevention and control of HIV/AIDS/STI. It has helped AMDA Nepal to fulfill its mission in the field of HIV/AIDS/STI prevention and control. We would also like to express our gratitude and thanks to Dr. Ward Cates, respected president Family Health International and Dr. James L. Ross, country Director for observing our field activities and interaction with Female Sex Worker, clients and our field staffs. It has helped a lot to build the moral of our staff, target groups and partners.

Special thanks goes to Ms. Barbara Franklin- Communication officer, FHI Asia Regional office Bangkok for her valuable suggestion and comment during her visit in our project and field sites. We are also grateful to Ms. Asha Basnyat, Associate Program Director and Mr. Bharat Bilas Panta, Program officer FHI Nepal for their periodic visit and feedback during our community assessment and program implementation.

Ms. Franklin, Ms.Basnyat and Mr. Panta have visited many times and observed our outreach activities in actual field sites and provided feedback and suggestions during their visit. They also highlighted the present rules and policies of USAID and FHI. Those information, comments and suggestions have been very useful and significant for us to implement the BCI Program in the community.

We are highly grateful to Mr. Chiranjivi Rizal, Honorable vice chairperson of National Assembly for inaugurating and encouraging us and Mr. Arjun Rai, Mr. Khadga Bdr. Basnet and Mr. Arvinda Prasad Mehta Chairperson of Jhapa, Morang and Sunsari DDC respectively and CDOs.

We are also grateful to NCASC for their continued support and providing updated HIV/AIDS situation.

We are grateful to Dr. Anil Kumar Das, Coordinator BCI Program for excellent coordination between the project management team, AMDA/Nepal and FHI/Nepal. We are also grateful to AMDA Executive and other members for observing field activities, keeping the program at high priority and continuous support through out the program implementation.

We also received numerous cooperation from FHI partners FPAN, CRS, GWP and technical assistance from Life Saving and Life Giving Society. Besides FHI partner we also received cooperation and suggestion from different INGOs, NGOs, Gos, DPHO, VDC, Private sectors, journalists. We also like to thank them for their valuable supports.

Finally, we are very much grateful to our Female Sex Workers, Clients & Peer Communicators for accepting this program as their own and the devoted project staff for their hard work. Without their help and participation this project would not have seen the light of succes

Dr. Shankar Prasad Huzdar

Project Manager

 

List of Acronyms:

AAPP                           AMDA AIDS Prevention Project

AIDS                            Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome

AMDA                          Association of Medical Doctors of Asia

BCC                            Behavior Change Communication

BCI                              Behavior Change Intervention

CBOs                          Community Based Organization

CSM                            Condom Social Marketing

CRS                            Nepal Contraceptive Retail Sales Company (Pvt). Ltd.

DACC                          District AIDS Coordination Committee

DHO                            District Health Office

FHI                              Family Health International

FPAN                          Family Planning Association of Nepal

FSW                            Female Sex Worker

GOs                            Governmental Organizations

INGOs                        International Non-Governmental Organization

LALS                           Life Giving and Life Saving Society

NGOs                         Non-Governmental Organizations

NRCS                         Nepal Red-Cross Society

HIV                              Human Immunodeficiency Virus

IDU                              Injection Drug User

IEC                              Information, Education and Communication

SMD                            Social Marketing Distributors

STD                            Sexually Transmitted Disease

STI                              Sexually Transmitted Infection

UNHCR                      United Nations High Commissioner for Refugee

USAID                         United States Agency for International Development

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

       Contents                                                                                                             Page No.

I.  Executive Summary                                                                                                            1

II. Description of Subproject

A.      Background                                                                                           2

·         Map of Project Districts                                                              6

B.   Scope of Work                                                                                       7

 

III. Subproject Implementation

                      A. Results

·         Capacity Building & Human Resource Development                            7

·         Community Assessment & In-depth audience research                       9

·         Target & participatory behavioral change Interventions            

(BCI) to reduce high-risk behaviors with Primary & Secondary

Target Group                                                                                   9

·         Awareness raising for general population                                            12

·         Collaboration & networking systems with NGOs, CBOs, FHI

Partners and the private sectors                                                        14

·         Information resource center/reference library on HIV/AIDS/STI  14

 

 

B.      Findings                                                                                               14

 

C.   Constraints                                                                                           17

 

D.   Management                                                                                       17

 

 

IV. Lesson Learned                                                                                                      18

V.  Materials/Products                                                                                                  18

 

 

Annex

  1. Location and Nature of risk behavior

II.                   Name list of different organizations contacted in the Project Area

III.                  Name list of the places of Community Based Drop–In–Centers

IV.                Name list of collaborating NGOs, GOs, CBOs, FHI Partners & the private sectors

V.                  Estimated Number of FSWs in the Project Area

VI.                Estimated Number of Clients of FSWs in the Project Area

VII.               Some photos of Major Activities During two years

VIII.            Findings of two years