ANNIE BANDA Executive Director –COALITION OF WOMEN AND GIRLS LIVING WITH HIV & AIDS- COWLHA 15 th APRIL 2014 Johannesburg, South Africa OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES EXPERIENCED AFTER RECEIVING TB/ HIV AND AIDS AWARD BY ARASA “The COWLHA Experience”

ABOUT the COWLHA Established in to create a united voice of women and girls living with HIV and AIDS in addressing the challenges affecting them. Vision- society where women and girls living with HIV and AIDS lead a health life, are self reliant, their rights are fully respected and protected. Mission. To enable its members lead a productive life by promoting sustainable livelihood programs and strengthening their capacity to effectively lobby and advocate for the issues affecting their lives.

WHY COWLHA CHOSE THIS PROJECT  'SOCIAL MOBILISATION ON TB/HIV AWARENESS BY COWLHA WOMEN TO THE COMMUNITY OF NTCHEU DISTRICT.’  Tuberculosis (TB) is a leading cause of illness and death of people living with HIV—almost one in four of the world’s 2 million AIDS-related deaths each year are associated with active TB.  The TB/HIV Operational Framework for Malawi, developed in partnership between WHO and MoH and approved for the period from 2008 to It has two objectives with focus on social mobilization: Objective III: “To provide a platform for advocacy to control the TB/HIV dual epidemic” and IV: “To enhance inter-sectorial collaboration and partnerships for dual TB and HIV and AIDS control”.

WHY COWLHA CHOSE THIS PROJECT 2  This project also catalyze efforts to fulfill the Priority strategy, under item 4.1, Advocacy, communication and social mobilization, which states: “in order to promote popular support for implementation of the activities, there is need to create community and health worker awareness and sensitization on the importance of TB and HIV co-infection.

WHY COWLHA CHOSE THIS PROJECT 3  Social mobilization is known as a corner stone for a successful TB/HIV Programme. It is also felt that mobilization is a vital for programme sustainability.  In fact CSOs, especially PLHIV organizations like COWLHA, are the most useful resource countries have to leverage HIV/TB response and to transform this dual pandemic into a single health priority. There is nothing for us without us as COWLHA.  In the ARASA small grant project, COWLHA women of Ntcheu district have been mobilised to better understand TB/HIV co- infection.

OPPORTUNITIES OF GETTING THE TB HIV AND HUMAN RIGHTS ARASA AWARD  The small grant COWLHA received has accorded the organisation with experience in programming on TB/HIV co-infection which is in line with the new funding model of the Global Fund. As such, COWLHA is now strategically positioned to benefit from Global Fund Grants through the National AIDS Commission.

DOs and DONTs FOR ARASA SMALL GRANT  Attending all sessions and being active during training.  Following all instructions  Communicating to ARASA team in time  Meeting deadlines  Being focused on the demand of communities  Being creative  No cutting of corners

CHALLENGES  TB and HIV services are not integrated in our health facilities which limits PLHIV from accessing TB services where as they access HIV service…..This challenge has resulted in Health facilities not carrying out intensified TB case finding to rule out active TB among PLHIVs  Limited funding for HIV in/and TB activities  Limitation of the funds disadvantaged us as people expect too much from us when resources could only allow us to do little things  The literate rate for the women is too low for them to understand the importance of data.

IMPACT OF THE PROJECT  More than 2000 people have been reached directly through door to door campaign and more than 6,000 indirectly  More people are now on ART as well as TB which was not the case in many people in the previous years. Ntcheu hospital medical assistant said they were screening an average of 6 patients/day for TB but when this project started they were screening an average of 22people/day.  Many lives have been saved.

SUSTAINABILITY  Since the project was carried out by the women in their community by building their capacity, there is continuation of the social mobilisation though the project has come to an end. This is so because the people in the community have structures and regular meetings through which the initiatives of the project are being furthered.

Case study  One of the trained women called me and said “ madam you cannot believe that the people including the chiefs are still inviting me to churches and different gatherings to talk about TB/HIV because they have seen how many lives have been saved that were not going to be there we had not intervened"

COWLHA WORK IN PICTURES

THE TROPHY IN COWLHA MALAWI OFFICE

COWLHA WORK IN PICTURES

 THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!!!!!!