March 2019 – February 2022
Sierra Leone
In Sierra Leone, only 33% of patients’ antiretroviral treatment needs are covered, and only 15% for children. People living with HIV are weakly involved in decisions about their rights and health by lack of knowledge and communication with professionals. The health system is deficient both in terms of monitoring (since the rate of people lost of touch remains high) and in terms of human resources, often underqualified, with negative attitudes towards PLWHA. The first phase of the Empower project strengthened the capacities of health personnel to provide good-quality care, NETHIPS coordination teams, institutional and national environmental capacities to ensure the sustainability of the project.
General objective:
Contribute to the reinforcement of civil society in excercising the right to health in Sierra Leone The 2nd phase of the Empower project aims to improve the quality of care through an approach focused on the needs of people living with HIV in three districts of Sierra Leone. During the first phase of the project, which lasted three years after 2016, Solthis used a three-part approach to strengthen and develop the capacities of actors involved in the healthcare system in Sierra Leone at the national, health centre and community levels. During this second phase, the project is expanding the number of health structures and support groups with which it is operates.
Beneficiaries
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20 health centres supported
Results
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The capacities of people living with HIV to exercise and defend their right to health are reinforced: the project will support, train and mentor the National Network of People Living with HIV (NETHIPS) in order to strengthen its governance and structure globally to ensure its development and sustainability. The project will also build the capacity of PLWHA support groups in Sierra Leone, conduct a study with institutional (NAS, NACP), civil society and international (UNAIDS) actors to identify the stigma experienced by people living with HIV and develop an advocacy strategy to defend the rights of PLWHA and combat all forms of stigma and discrimination encountered on a daily basis.
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The capacity of healthcare workers to provide good-quality care is strengthened: through training, post-training follow-up, internships and exchanges of experience between supported healthcare centres, clinical mentoring on HIV prevention, and adult & paediatric care. The project also aims to improve the healthcare workers – patients relationship, establish communication mechanisms between them to promote respect for PLWHA and combat stigma in healthcare centres.
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The national environment and institutional capacities to ensure the sustainability of project results are reinforced: through Technical Assistance to update national care protocols and the management of supplies and stocks according to patients’ needs. Through mentoring and training, the project also aims to raise awareness among the health authorities of the DISTRICTs targeted by the project so that they can integrate the fight against HIV and related discrimination into their activities.
