Reduce The Impact Of HIV In Southern Sudan
The prevalence of HIV is thought to be low in Southern Sudan, and IntraHealth is working with the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) to help it stay that way. After years of civil war, the Government of Southern Sudan is starting to rebuild the country's infrastructure, including health care. As troops demobilize, displaced persons return home and commercial traffic from areas of higher HIV rates increases, concerns about a surge in HIV/AIDS prevalence are growing.
In response to these concerns, the SPLA has established its own HIV/AIDS Secretariat to manage prevention and treatment interventions in the military. IntraHealth has trained the Secretariat in organizational development, established partnerships with the military programs of Kenya and Uganda to learn from what they have done to combat the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and trained military personnel as HIV/AIDS educators. IntraHealth is also strengthening infrastructure by supporting the building of a pre-fab office structure in Juba to house the Secretariat.
To raise awareness in the SPLA, IntraHealth assists in publishing a monthly bulletin on HIV/AIDS information that is sent out to all military officers and serves as a continual connection between soldiers and the HIV/AIDS issue. The project has trained the senior military commanders to understand HIV/AIDS’ causes, stigmas and prevention; has held awareness campaigns such as a day-long event that preceded World AIDS Day and reached over 2,000 soldiers; and has integrated HIV/AIDS prevention and general information into the military trainings.
To expand access to HIV/AIDS services, IntraHealth has trained new staff and established or improved voluntary counseling and testing (C&T) sites, including erecting tukuls (traditional thatched-roof structures) to house C&T services. In the coming year, IntraHealth plans to create mobile C&T services.
The Project also provides training and management support through subawards to organizations which provide HIV/AIDS services to the civilian as well as military population in the southern part of the country. The organizations include Merlin (Medical Emergency Relief International, a UK-based health services organization), St. Bakhita's Health Center in Yei, the International Medical Corps, and Across (a faith-based organization). These organizations are creating awareness of HIV/AIDS in their communities and providing C&T and prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV services.
This three-year project, funded by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has just started its third year.
Contact: Carol Karutu, Program Manager
Mail: SPLA GHQs, New Site, Terekeka Road, Juba, Southern Sudan
Phone: 256-477-12-4414
This project is now producing bi-monthly HIV information bulletins for the soldiers in Juba, Southern Sudan. You can see pdf versions of them here:
- February 2007 spla_2_07.pdf
- March 2007 spla_3_07.pdf
- April 2007spla_04_07.pdf
- June–July 2007 spla_6-7_07.pdf
- November–December 2007 spla_11-12_07.pdf
- May–June 2008 spla_5-6_2008.pdf
Donors to this project: CDC