Second Multi-sectoral HIV/AIDS Project

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The objectives of the Second Multi-Sectoral HIV/AIDS Project (EMSAP I1) are to: a) increase access to prevention services for youth, in particular females aged 15-24, and other most-at-risk groups; and b) sustain access to care and support for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and orphans undertaken in EMSAP I. The project will focus on rural and peri-urban areas where the majority of the population lives and on specific "hotspots" such as market towns, secondary towns, and transportation hubs. There are three main components to the project. Component 1 is the National Program Coordination and Institutional Strengthening component which is to further improve the coordination and delivery of the national HIV/AIDS strategy and action plan at all levels more effectively. Activities carried out under this component will seek to improve the implementation capacity of public sector entities as well as private sector and civil society organizations to ensure effective coordination and to achieve better results on the ground. Component 2 is the Multi-Sectoral Prevention Fund which is aimed at supporting a broad range of interventions in the public sector to prevent the spread of HIV. The main activities to be supported will include behavioral change targeted activities, peer education, counseling and testing, condom distribution, and mechanisms for reduction of harmful traditional practices. Unlike EMSAP I, this project will support focused and targeted interventions in public sectors to help register better outcomes in terms of increasing prevention knowledge and fostering behavior change. Component 3 is the Local Response Fund which will support community-based initiatives focused on primarily HIV prevention and mitigation activities targeting specific key at-risk groups. The types of activities to be financed under this component would include, among others, HIV/AIDS awareness creation at community level; behavioral change; condom distribution; and counseling and testing services.