Sunday, May 11, 2025
5/11/2025
GH17-1755, Sustainable Answer to the Fight against HIV/AIDS through the strengthening of local Entities and community Response (SAFER) - The goal of the Sustainable Answer to the Fight against HIV/AIDS through the strengthening of local Entities and community Response (SAFER) project, proposed by the International Rescue Committee (IRC), is to contribute to the 90-90-90 UNAIDS objectives in line with PEPFAR 3.0 and national strategies, by preventing new infections among adolescent girls and young women, adult men, people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV), orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs), mobile populations and uniformed personnel in Côte d’Ivoire, and strengthening care and support services for highly vulnerable populations, including PLHIV, OVCs and their families and caregivers. The SAFER project will build upon six years of CDC/PEPFAR-financed interventions in Côte d’Ivoire, and on enhanced data analysis, to target evidence-based combination prevention interventions, including high-yielding HIV testing and counseling activities, to identify PLHIV who remain unaware of their status. Continuous epidemiological and program data analysis by IRC, its 11 partners, and local authorities will guide the targeting of activities. The project will ensure the continuum of care, by scaling up care and support services to improve antiretroviral therapy coverage and adherence rates, while reinforcing linkages between patients and care. To achieve this, SAFER will strengthen the capacity of decentralized government entities and community-based organizations in data and financial management, leadership, governance, coordination, and implementation of the HIV response. SAFER will apply a women and girls-centered approach to all interventions, including care and support to gender-based violence survivors, household economic strengthening, child protection and education. SAFER will be implemented in 3 of the 16 PEPFAR “Scale-Up to Saturation” districts (Bouaflé, Daloa, Man) and 5 of the 23 “Aggressive Scale-Up” districts (Adjamé-Plateau-Attécoubé (Abidjan), Bangolo, Duékoué, Guiglo, Sinfra) where IRC has extensive experience and strong relationships with local authorities and community actors. SAFER will consider the HIV-related needs in each health district, with a focus on urban areas where prevalence rates are higher than rural areas. In these districts, SAFER will contribute to the following long-term outcomes: increased government ownership and improved coordination of the HIV/AIDS response; increased funding for HIV-related activities, improved quality of HIV service delivery; reduced HIV transmission among priority populations (PPs) PLHIV; reduced HIV incidence among PPs; increased viral load suppression of PPs PLHIV in care and treatment; and reduced HIV-related morbidity and mortality among PPs PLHIV. IRC’s extensive experience in Côte d’Ivoire has led to strong relationships with the Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene (including the National HIV Program and the National Institute of Public Hygiene), the Ministry of Employment and Social Protection (including social centers), the Ministry of the Promotion of Women, Family and Child Protection (including the National OVC Program and socio-educative complexes), the Ministry of Water and Forests and the Ministry of Defense. IRC will continue to seek out strategic partnerships and coordinate with other key stakeholders including United Nations agencies, other PEPFAR clinical and community partners, multilateral organizations, and the private sector. Through SAFER, IRC is proposing a sustainable, cost-efficient, and high-yielding project, guided by evidence and improved metrics, that will strengthen the capacity of decentralized government entities and community-based organizations in order to help achieve epidemic control in Côte d’Ivoire.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).