Edition August 2016—Jan 2017

News you can use

from PEPFAR Côte d’Ivoire

Honors for outgoing U.S. Ambassador Terence McCulley by Thierry Oswald

On August 18, 2016, the U.S. Ambassador

in Côte d’Ivoire Terence P. McCulley was the special guest at the National Central

Medical Store (NPSP) for a ceremony of recognition for the commitment of the US

Government and his personal involvement in the transformation of the NPSP into a

successful and thriving organization, secur-ing and providing medical commodities all

over the country.

The Minister of Health and Public Hygiene Dr. Raymonde Goudou-Cofffie, chaired

the event, taking time from her holidays to come and honor her “brother”, as she

called Ambassador McCulley.

She outlined the outstanding contributions of the U.S. Government to the Govern-

ment of Côte d’Ivoire in general, and to the Health sector in particular. She men-

tioned the construction and equipment of

the Warehouse-In-a Box that tremen-

dously increased the operational capacities of the NPSP. She also praised the excel-

lent collaboration that Ambassador McCulley strengthened during his man-

date, and expressed the need for that col-

laboration to grow after the departure of the Ambassador in August 2016.

Dr. Goudou-Coffie also decorated Am-bassador McCulley in the Rank of “Grand

Commandeur de l’Ordre du Mérite de la

Coordinator’s Corner

Dear PEPFAR Implementing

Partners

The new fiscal year has

begun, which means for many

of us the beginning of COP

2016 implementation. COP

2016 represents the second

year of implementation of PEPFAR’s far-reaching

two-year plan to reach 80% saturation of ART

coverage in selected districts, in support of Cote

d’Ivoire’s progress toward control of HIV.

Based on the program’s accomplishments during

the FY 2016 (COP 2015) implementation period,

the PEPFAR country team has great confidence in

our partners’ capacity for high performance this

coming year. Although Cote d’Ivoire’s contribu-

tion to the global burden of disease is modest,

PEPFAR Cote d’Ivoire’s exceptional achievement

to date toward FY 2016 targets has elevated our

program above other PEPFAR country programs,

a position that has not gone unrecognized by

PEPFAR headquarters. The interagency team at

the State Department, CDC, DOD, and USAID

applaud our partners for your tireless efforts that

have led to a level of success unmatched by other

country programs.

And yet, I urge us all – Implementing Partners

and USG staff – to continue to find ways to en-

hance our program and ensure that every individ-

ual in need of the spectrum of HIV services is

receiving them. The program has met success

throughout all quarters of COP 2015; the robust

targets for COP 2016 require us all not only to

maintain this high level of execution but also to

address with more attention the areas where we

can improve.

It is my sincere wish that throughout COP 2016,

including the period of COP 2017 development

that is now upon us, the country team and Imple-

menting Partners – along with government, civil

society, and other donor partners – will actively,

continually work together to develop those solu-

tions to reach the hidden populations at highest

risk, to draw them to quality, friendly services,

and to ensure that they and their families remain

healthy.

Happy new year and happy COP 2016!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Coordinator's Corner p.1

Honors for outgoing

U.S. Ambassador McCulley

p 1

USG Health teams recognize retiring

DGS Profesor Boa Yapo

p 2

Summary of PEPFAR Côte d’Ivoire

Gender analysis

p2

AIMAS celebrates 20th anniversary

of SIDA dans la Cité

p 2

Alliance CI assesses10 years of activi-

ties

p.3

PEPFAR CI World AIDS Day 2016

Pinata

p.3

PNOEV assesses 2016 OVC activities

p.4

SCMS program closes out

p.4

PEPFAR Côte d’Ivoire launches

the Small Grants Program

p.4

PEPFAR Côte d’Ivoire Q4

Highlights (APR 2016)

p.5

COP season is here again

p.6

PEPFAR Côte d’Ivoire engages with

Partners and Stakeholders in COP2017

p.6

Staff movement p.6

Page 2

USG Health Teams recognize Professor Boa Yapo by Erika Vengas

Profesor Boa Yapo Felix retired after serving as Director

General of Health (DGS) for the last three years. On that occa-

sion, the USG Health team invited him to a farewell lunch on

September 21, 2016.

That event underscored the great collaboration between the

USG Health team and the Ministry of Health through the DGS

and his collaborators. This strong relationship is in line with

PEPFAR’s core agenda of Partnership.

Professor Boa led most of the biweekly USG/MoH coordination

meetings throughout his mandate as DGS.

He was a great ambassador to the USG Health team in convey-

ing the priorities of the U.S. Mission in Côte d’Ivoire, first of

PEPFAR and eventually of other health programs such as GHSA,

both upward to higher levels and downstream to the field.

The USG Health team awarded Professor Boa a Certificate of

Appreciation signed by Andrew Haviland, the Chargé d’Affaires

(a.i.), in recognition of his outstanding leadership in support of

the PEPFAR, Global Health Security Agenda, and Neglected

Tropical Diseases Programs in Côte d’Ivoire, and for his unwa-

vering commitment in improving the health of the people of

Côte d’Ivoire and globally .

The PEPFAR gender analysis guidelines (2014) require all country

teams to conduct an analysis of the socio-cultural gender norms,

inequities, and inequalities that put people at risk for acquiring

or transmitting HIV, affect their ability to access HIV services

and impact efforts to achieve epidemic control. In December

2015, the PEPFAR Gender Technical Working Group in Abidjan,

Cote d’Ivoire, carried out the gender analysis, with final results

to be reflected in the Country Operational Plan (COP) 2016.

The analysis reported that in Côte d’Ivoire, there is a gender gap

in HIV incidence and prevalence be-

tween women and men over the age

of 15 years. The number of new HIV

infections has decreased overall be-

tween 2010 and 2014; however, the

drop has been more consistent among

men, and larger numbers of women

than men continue to be infected.

Additionally, though the number of

male and female children (under age

15) with advanced HIV infection who

are on ARV is about equal, there are many more adult women

on ARV than adult men.

While we would expect to see more women on ARV given the

fact that there are more infected women in the country, the gap

in incidence and prevalence between adult women and men is

much smaller than for those on treatment.

The findings draw heavily on the qualitative research and are

organized based on the main themes that emerged during our

analysis, which include: gender based violence; economic power;

stigma and discrimination; beliefs and traditions; quality of health

services; community capacity; and policy. Many of these issues

are not exclusive to Côte d’Ivoire.

Based on the key findings PEPFAR CI Team set up the priority

investments for COP 2016 as follow :

(i) Scale up/revamp programs that seek

to change the norm that men do not

seek preventive health care;

(ii) Strengthen sensitization and training

programs for duty bearers and commu-

nity leaders to increase appropriate ser-

vice referrals for GBV survivors

(medical/legal/psychosocial);

(iii) Work with health providers and

clinics to offer men-friendly;

(iv) Continue to work with general practice, public-sector health

care providers to increase understanding, acceptance and

capacities to provide stigma-free quality services to KPs;

(v) Improve identification of survivors of violence and persons

vulnerable to violence and route them into health services.

PEPFAR Côte d’Ivoire Gender Analysis by Joseph Trika

Page 3

During the 1990’s, the TV show

SIDA dans la Cité (SDLC) undenia-

bly contributed to breaking the

taboo about discussing the HIV/

AIDS pandemic in Côte d’Ivoire

and several Francophone African

countries.

Where does the country stand in the fight against HIV and AIDS to-

day, 20 years after the initial broadcast of the series?

To address this question, the Agence Internationale de Marketing Social

(AIMAS) in collaboration with the National AIDS Program (PNLS) and

the National TV Channel (RTI), marked the celebration of World AIDS

Day 2016 (WAD 2016) with a media event known as « SIDA

Toujours dans la Cité ».

As part of the celebration of the 20th anniversary of SDLC, RTI 2 sum-

marized the movie in five episodes, followed by a discussion panel.

That panel included members of the Network of People Living with

HIV (RIP+) and Ivorian movie stars who shared their experiences the

making of the movie and debated the topics such as:

- HIV status disclosure, confidentiality, treatment

- HIV among sero-discordant couples, the burden of tradition, intergen-

erational sex

- Testing, negotiation, condom use

- Abusive dismissal, Labor Law, PMTCT, HIV Law

- Care and support, depression, stigma

The project had the objective not only of conducting a retrospective on

how far the country had progressed in its response to HIV and AIDS,

but also of motivating the general public to continue the fight.

Other actors in the HIV response who contributed to the success of

this project included PEPFAR (CDC, USAID, and the PEPFAR Coordi-

nation Office), UNAIDS, Alliance CI and CIPS/Espoir Côte d’Ivoire.

AIMAS celebrates 20th Anniversary of SIDA dans la Cité by Malibu Yehiri (AIMAS)

Alliance Côte d’Ivoire assesses 10 years of activities by Mamey Kamara (ANCI)

The International HIV/AIDS Alliance (IHAA) is a UK non-governmental

organization that brings together national civil society organizations,

referred to as liaison organizations, in 40 countries. The IHAA, through

a global partnership with its liaison organizations, helps to support and

mobilize community action in the fight against HIV and AIDS and other

pandemics and the fight for the protection of human rights.

In November 2005, the IHAA set up a country office in Côte d'Ivoire,

which was replaced in 2006 by the National Alliance against AIDS in

Cote d'Ivoire, aka Alliance Côte d'Ivoire, a non-governmental organiza-

tion (NGO).

This organization very quickly positioned itself at the national level as a

key partner for supporting community actions, with financial support

from various donors, namely PEPFAR, the UN family, the World Bank

and the Global Fund.

Alliance Côte d'Ivoire expanded its fields of intervention in 2014 to take

into the global and sub-regional context of the fight against HIV and

AIDS on the one hand, and the emerging health needs on the other

hand. It has now evolved into the National Alliance for Health and Development. This will enable the organization to use its experience

developed in the fight against AIDS in other areas of health.

Alliance Côte d'Ivoire invited all its partners to celebrate the occasion

of its 10th anniversary, under the patronage of the Minister of Health

and Public Hygiene.

The event was organized around three highlights:

A press conference on 16 November 2016 at the Ibis Plateau Ho-

tel;

HIV/AIDS and TB awareness campaigns

in the community throughout the coun-

try from 16 to 25 November 2016;

Official ceremony and the activities on 25

November 2016 at the CRAAE UEMOA

Plateau.

During the ceremony, key partners such as

the Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene,

CCM, PEPFAR, the Platform of CSOs net-

works and IHAA were awarded for their

unwavering support to Alliance Côte d’Ivoire.

On November 30, 2016, the PEPFAR Cote d’Ivoire orga-

nized a piñata party at the US Marines House to mark

World AIDS Day 2016.

The event was chaired by Chargé d’Affaires Andrew

Haviland and attended by many embassy staff from vari-

ous sections.

The PEPFAR Coordination Office projected the movie

“Des gens comme vous et moi” at the event. That movie

was produced by Populations Service International (PSI)

with PEPFAR funding, provides testimonies from people

living with HIV about their experience with the disease, as

part of awareness raising on stigma and discrimination.

It also also transmits the message that living HIV is no

longer a death sentence, and that people can lead

“normal” lives if they get tested early and initiate treat-

ment early.

World AIDS Day 2016 Pinata

Page 4

PNOEV assessment of 2016 OVC activities by Irene M’bahia

The National OVC program (PNOEV) organized two regional

to share experiences among stakeholders for more efficient and

effective care to OVC and their families. The first workshop

took place on June 21- 24 in Abidjan, and the second, chaired by

Mrs Euphrasia Kouassi Yao, the then Minister for the Promotion

of Women, Family and Child Protection (MPFFPE), on July 25 –

29, 2016 in Yamoussoukro.

The meetings benefited from the technical and financial support

from PEPFAR through the CDC, and brought together 188 par-

ticipants from 40 social centers housing OVC collaboration plat-

forms, 31 regional offices, eleven technical partners, three finan-

cial partners (USG, UNICEF,) two National Programs (PNN,

PNLS), and representatives from central departments of the

MPFFPE as well as the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection

and the Ministry of Budget, Ministry of Education.

These workshops assessed the activities of social centers, in-

cluding care and support for OVC and their families. They of-

fered an opportunity for all stakeholders to discuss important

aspects of care and support for OVC and their families in Côte

d'Ivoire. The various workshops helped to identify challenges

and make recommendations for stronger support to OVC and

their families in the next implementation period.

Coming to an end after ten years of implementation, the Supply

Chain Management Systems (SCMS) program presented its re-

sults to government and national partners on November 25th,

2016. Simplice Kamdem of USAID Côte d'Ivoire, on behalf of

PEPFAR, expressed his pride and privilege to present the results

of this technical support of this huge project with a cost of

more than USD 300 millions.

Throughout the project period, SCMS aimed to transform

health service provision while ensuring that commodities of

good quality reached people living with or affected by HIV/

AIDS. The main results observed included achievements and

improvements in: supply chain strategy, institutional capacity,

training, health information, infrastructure, quantification and

acquisition, and the destruction of non usable products.

SCMS program closes out by Jenny-Christelle

PEPFAR has made available program funds to support the engagement

of small, local partners in the fight against HIV and AIDS. The pro-

gram is known as the PEPFAR Small Grants Program, and it is admin-

istered in Côte d’Ivoire by the PEPFAR Coordination Office. The

Small Grants Program offers financial support that enables local civil

society organizations to implement small-scale projects addressing

HIV and AIDS in the following priority areas, primarily in community

settings:

Outreach to and mobilization of Men having sex with men

(MSM) Female Sex Workers (FSW) for HIV service uptake

Capacity building to combat stigma and discrimination against

LBGTI and against HIV

Community support for adherence and retention counseling for

PLHIV

Job skills training and economic strengthening for:

People living with HIV (PLHIV), with a focus on wom-

en and girls

Orphans, vulnerable children (OVC) and their care-

givers

More details on the eligibility criteria and application requirements

will be available the U.S. Embassy Abidjan webpage: https://

ci.usembassy.gov/our-relationship/pepfar/funding-opportunities/

The PEPFAR Coordination Office will accept proposals throughout

the year, but applications should be submitted by 17H00 on March

15, 2017 in order to be considered for the next round of funding.

The complete application package may be submitted via e-mail to

AbidjanPEPFARGrants@state.gov or physically to:

PEPFAR Coordination Office,

US Embassy Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire

Cocody Riviéra Golf,

01 BP 1712 Abidjan 01

Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire

PEPFAR launches small grants program

Page 5

PEPFAR Côte d’Ivoire Q4 Highlights (APR 2016) by Erika Vengas

PEPFAR Côte d’Ivoire was one of few PEPFAR countries that ably met its annual overall targets for putting new people on treat-

ment. However, the program is only covering 43% of the total estimated number of people living with HIV in Côte d’Ivoire. Mov-

ing forward, PEPFAR will be focusing not only on accelerating the country’s progress to reaching the second 90 (81% of PLHIV

on anti-retroviral treatment) but also on achieving targets for each district, as well as for each sex and age disaggregation.

The country is progressing far more successfully in reaching the 90-90-90 goals among women than men. PEPFAR results over

the last year, similar to previous years, reveal clearly that far more women are accessing PEPFAR services than men, testing and

counseling as well as treatment. The PEPFAR country team along with its Implementing Partners will be conducting continual

analyses to understand the obstacles and opportunities to connecting men to the continuum of HIV services.

When PEPFAR started in 2012 Côte d’Ivoire, the retention rate (percentage of adults and children known to be alive and on

treatment for at least 12 months after initiation) was 60%; the percentage has risen in 2016 to 81% (83% for children and 81%

for adults). Not only are more people accessing anti-retroviral treatment, but more people are staying on treatment, able to

lead productive lives over a normal life span.

Indicators Apr to Jun 2016

(Q3) Jul to Sept 2016

(Q4) Oct 2015 to Sept

2016 (Q3-Q4) FY16 targets

% Ach Fy 16

PREVENTION KP_PREV N/A 36,937 52,115 62,265 83.7% PP_PREV N/A 123,629 175,276 175,950 99.6%

TESTING

HTC, TST 422,082 424,964 1,614,356 727,524 221.9% Male 118,846 125,929 450,695 182,522 246.9% Female 300,703 299,035 1,163,661 544,342 213.8%

HTC, TST Positive 13,477 13,532 55,055 35,297 156.0% Male 3,874 4,362 16,105 9,742 165.3% Female 9,604 9,170 38,950 25,555 152.4%

TREATMENT

TX New 11,691 11,006 45,255 44,836 100.9% Age <15 697 675 2,817 2,298 122.6% Age 15+ 10,994 10,331 42,438 42,538 99.8% Male 8,766 2,916 11,816 29,323 40.3% Female 2,925 8,090 33,439 15,513 215.6%

TX_Curr N/A 179,045 179,045 166,710 107.4% Age <15 N/A 8,712 8,712 7,695 113.2% Age 15+ N/A 170,333 170,333 158,760 107.3% Male N/A 50,426 50,426 48,636 103.7% Female N/A 128,619 128,619 117,819 109.2%

TX Ret N/A 81% 81% 85% 95.0%

PMTCT

PMTCT_STAT 95% 95% 97% 100% 97% PMTCT _STAT 124,721 116,295 493,493 353,527 139.6%

PMTCT _STAT: known at entry positive 1,439 1,435 6,077 5,980 101.6%

PMTCT _STAT: newly identified positive 1,871 1,588 7,554 7,004 107.9%

PMTCT _EID: 77% 93% 72% 70% 102.8% PMTCT _EID 2,555 2,820 9,832 9,110 107.9% PMTCT_EID_POS_12MO 92 65 323 539 59.9% PMTCT _ARV N/A 6,442 13,509 12,363 109.3%

TBHIV

TB_SCREEN N/A 200,679 200,679 169,527 118.4% TB_STAT 99% 99% 98% 100% 97.8% TB_STAT N/A 4,873 23,703 23,521 100.8%

TB_STAT: New/Relapsed TB with HIV+ 5,069 1,247 5,555 5,373 103.4%

TB_ART N/A 1,976 4,057 4,339 93.5% TB_OUTCOME N/A 5,349 5,349 4,765 112.3%

CARE AND SUPPORT

CARE_NEW N/A 27,090 56,243 30,211 186.2% CARE_CURR N/A 225,234 225,234 211,910 106.3%

OVC OVC_SERV N/A 210,471 210,471 230,941 91.1% OVC_SERV : Age <18 N/A 125,793 125,793 138,563 90.8%

GENDER GEND_GBV N/A 696 696 2,080 33.5%

GEND_NORM N/A 26,285 26,285 19,374 135.7%

Page 6

Staff movement

COP season is here again by Cathy Nguyen

The COP 2017 planning season has begun, launched on January

18, 2017 with the release of the COP 2017 Guidance and alloca-

tion letter for PEPFAR Côte d’Ivoire. COP 2017 is expected to be

a continuation and reinforcement of the direction and strategies

of COP 2016. Major changes include a significantly reduced plan-

ning period, increased expected engagement of external, and in-

creased analysis of district– and sex-disaggregated data for strate-

gic decision-making. The PEPFAR Côte d’Ivoire has confidence in

our IPs’ abilities to help the country reach the 90-90-9090 goals

by 2020.

COP 2017 SCHEDULE

Strategic Planning Retreat January 30 – February 1

DC Management Meeting February 20-24

COPs due March 16

In-person COP reviews April 24 – 26

PEPFAR Côte d’Ivoire engages with Partners and Stakeholders in COP2017

The PEPFAR Côte d’Ivoire team has initiated a series of consultations

with key actors working in the field

of HIV as part of its of the prepara-

tion of COP2017. This began with

a consultation with representatives

from civil society organizations

working in HIV and other health

related areas, on January 24, 2017,

and continued with workshop on

Jan 26, 2017 that included the Na-

tional AIDS Program (PNLS), the

National OVC Program (PNOEV),

the Ministry of Defense, and Imple-

menting and Technical/Financial

Partners (UN family).

At both events, the PEPFAR Côte

d’Ivoire presented the country

achievements of the FY 2016 Annual Program Results (APR2016), and

the strategies developed in response to HQ review of the results. The extended stakeholder meeting also included a presentation of the re-

sults of the FY 2016 Site Improvements and Monitoring System (SIMS).

The main commentary from civil society representatives surrounded

the need for increased support for GBV services, people who use

drugs, and community sensitization and

awareness.

Robust exchanges with the extended

stakeholders touched upon the subjects

of pediatric HIV testing, data tools,

prevention for adolescent girls and

young women, uptake of services by

men, viral load testing services and

access, and GBV services availability.

Participants at the extended stakehold-

er event also divided into small groups

to discuss obstacles and solutions to

the first 90, specifically case identifica-

tion and linkages between testing and

care/treatment. Each small group fo-

cused on a particular hard to reach population: children (under 19),

Key Populations, and Men 25+ .

IN:

G. Laïssa Ouedraogo, MD, MPH&TM (Country

Director, CDC-Côte d’Ivoire)

is a dual-board certified physician in Pediatrics and Internal Medicine with experience in HIV/AIDS

prevention, treatment, and care as well as TB, STIs,

and tropical diseases.

Most recently, Dr. Ouedraogo served as Team Lead at the Division of

AIDS of the National Institutes of Health where she provided clinical,

scientific, and operational oversight for HIV clinical studies in the US,

Africa, and Switzerland, helping manage various implementation and

safety monitoring challenges with partners and multidisciplinary teams.

In 2015, she was detailed to the CDC as the Team Lead for Infection

Prevention and Control for the Ebola Response in Guinea where she

provided technical assistance, collaborated with international partners,

and participated in the rapid response investigations.

OUT

Dr. Dirk Buyse (Former Health Systems

Strengthening Branch Chief, USAID Côte

d’Ivoire) departed post in December 2016 to serve as Global Fund Liaison in DRC.

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