November 2019

November 13, 2019

How an HIV program in Angola went online, against all odds [2]

[2]LINKAGES Angola's peer educators: Garcia, Kudibanza, Dario, Michel, and Henrique. Photo credit: LINKAGES Angola

This story was originally published on the LINKAGES blog [4]

Written by Rafaela Egg, LINKAGES Angola; Ben Eveslage, FHI 360; Denizia Pinto, LINKAGES Angola; & Caitlin Loehr, IntraHealth International

“Here they come again with another ‘big idea,’ another innovation, to see how we can improve.” – Dario, community peer educator, Luanda, Angola

Accelerating HIV epidemic control in Angola: A sustainable model for comprehensive HIV services [6]

Laura Hanson [7]

HIV & AIDS [3]

[6]

“We want to provide excellent services to our patients; the same level of care they would receive in Paris, Thailand, or the United States of America.” - Dr. Lombe Kilamba, an HIV Case Manager at Kilamba-Kiaxi Municipal Hospital

The Government of Angola is working to scale up early diagnosis and treatment of HIV. While the country’s HIV prevalence is lower than many of its neighbors, AIDS-related deaths increased by 33% [8] between 2010 and 2018. The number of new infections is also on the rise, particularly among young women, and just 28% of adults and 13% of children [8] living with HIV are receiving treatment.

ONSE Health Activity in Malawi Commemorates World Prematurity Day [10]

Health Systems Strengthening [11]

Women & Gender [12]

[10]Photo credit: Rudi Thetard/MSH

"There is a great joy when the family comes back to hospital wanting to show that their less than 1500g baby has now grown into a healthy newborn with no trace that they were premature. Sometimes we meet parents in the market place who keep appreciating our efforts in saving their premature babies... I appreciate it so much when babies are born in hospital so care can be initiated as soon as possible." - Chelmsford Gondwe, Registered Nurse Midwife

The USAID-funded Organized Network for Everyone’s Health (ONSE) Activity and lead implementer Management Sciences for Health joined the world to commemorate World Prematurity Day on November 17, 2019. This global movement seeks to raise awareness about prematurity, calling for the participation of everyone in the prevention and care of small and sick newborns to avert deaths. This year’s celebrations were under the theme “Born Too Soon: Providing the right care, at the right time, in the right place.”

To build health systems in fragile settings, put women first [14]

Cara Endyke-Doran [15]

Fragile States [16]

Health Systems Strengthening [11]

Women & Gender [12]

[14]A mother and child wait outside a clinic on the outskirts of Mbuji Mayi, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Photo credit: Warren Zelman

In the face of conflict, natural disasters, or other crippling events, women disproportionately suffer from preventable illnesses and death. In such circumstances, women are more likely to experience gender-based violence, and they have more difficulty accessing basic health services, such as obstetric care and family planning. This was evident in the wake of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, when maternal mortality rose sharply between 2013 and 2015; with the HIV epidemic, when rates of HIV among young women soared in sub-Saharan Africa; and with spikes in sexual and gender-based violence that occur during a humanitarian crisis.

Making pregnancy a choice, not a chance, in Malawi [18]

Health Systems Strengthening [11]

Women & Gender [12]

[18]A woman receives depo-provera contraceptive method at Area 18 health center in Lilongwe District, Malawi. Photo credit: Rejoice Phiri/MSH

Program seeds providers in high-density health center

In July, 23-year old Esther walked a fair distance to Area 18, a health center in Malawi’s Lilongwe District, since no family planning services were available in her area. She has one child and wants to wait before having a second. At the health center, Esther joined a group counseling session where all family planning methods were presented. Afterwards, during individual counseling, she shared her desire to wait at least five years before becoming pregnant. Once informed of her options, including long-term reversible contraceptives, she chose to receive an intrauterine contraceptive device (IUCD), and had it inserted right away.

“I will tell my friends about the IUCD,” says Esther. “I know the truth about how it works. We need to be careful not to pay attention to the stories people tell.”

Bridging the accountability gap in our fight against TB [20]

Ersin Topcuoglu [21]

Health Systems Strengthening [11]

[20]David Kaliisa, a TB community linkage facilitator in Kawempe, Kampala, checks on Celeb and her daughter. While both received treatment for multi-drug resistant TB, Kaliisa made regular house calls to support their adherence to treatment. Photo Credit: Diana Tumuhairwe/MSH.

This op-ed was originally published in The Hill. [22]

Read more [20]

Links
[1] https://www.msh.org/blog/2019/11/13/how-an-hiv-program-in-angola-went-online-against-all-odds#comments
[2] https://www.msh.org/blog/2019/11/13/how-an-hiv-program-in-angola-went-online-against-all-odds
[3] https://www.msh.org/blog-categories/hiv-aids
[4] https://linkagesproject.wordpress.com/2019/11/12/how-an-hiv-program-in-angola-went-online-against-all-odds/
[5] https://www.msh.org/blog/2019/11/15/accelerating-hiv-epidemic-control-in-angola-a-sustainable-model-for-comprehensive#comments
[6] https://www.msh.org/blog/2019/11/15/accelerating-hiv-epidemic-control-in-angola-a-sustainable-model-for-comprehensive
[7] https://www.msh.org/users/laura-hanson
[8] https://www.unaids.org/en/regionscountries/countries/angola
[9] https://www.msh.org/blog/2019/11/21/onse-health-activity-in-malawi-commemorates-world-prematurity-day#comments
[10] https://www.msh.org/blog/2019/11/21/onse-health-activity-in-malawi-commemorates-world-prematurity-day
[11] https://www.msh.org/blog-categories/health-systems-strengthening
[12] https://www.msh.org/blog-categories/women-gender
[13] https://www.msh.org/blog/2019/11/25/to-build-health-systems-in-fragile-settings-put-women-first#comments
[14] https://www.msh.org/blog/2019/11/25/to-build-health-systems-in-fragile-settings-put-women-first
[15] https://www.msh.org/users/cara-endyke-doran
[16] https://www.msh.org/blog-categories/fragile-states
[17] https://www.msh.org/blog/2019/11/25/making-pregnancy-a-choice-not-a-chance-in-malawi#comments
[18] https://www.msh.org/blog/2019/11/25/making-pregnancy-a-choice-not-a-chance-in-malawi
[19] https://www.msh.org/blog/2019/11/26/bridging-the-accountability-gap-in-our-fight-against-tb#comments
[20] https://www.msh.org/blog/2019/11/26/bridging-the-accountability-gap-in-our-fight-against-tb
[21] https://www.msh.org/users/ersin-topcuoglu
[22] https://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/471812-bridging-the-accountability-gap-in-our-fight-against-tb#.XdvtXQDIpKc.twitter