Wednesday, February 5, 2025
2/5/2025
Despite significant progress in stabilizing HIV prevalence in the general population of Rwanda at 3%, key and priority populations (KP/PP) are disproportionally affected by the HIV epidemic and face gaps in the HIV testing and treatment cascade including low linkage to treatment and low viral load suppression rates. KP/PP include female sex workers, men who have sex with men, transgender populations, high-risk adolescent girls and young women and adolescent boys and young men, clients of male and female sex workers, children of HIV-positive female sex workers, and clients with sexually transmitted infections (STI). In this application, we propose the INGANJI (victory) project that builds on prior successes to develop and implement new high-impact activities that: optimize access to and use of evidence-based interventions among KP/PP in Rwanda and increase HIV testing via different modalities; enhance case-finding, linkage and referral of those living with HIV to treatment and care; and ensure linkage of those without HIV to prevention services. Long-term outcomes include decreasing new HIV infection rates, increasing viral load suppression rates, and improving protection of KP/PP programming data from unauthorized access and use. The Center for Family Health Research (CFHR) will lead this program drawing on over three decades of work including prior success implementing KP/PP programs in Rwanda. Under CDC funded GH15-1616 (2015-2019), CFHR worked in 93 government health centers and their surrounding communities. Working closely with CDC-Rwanda, we exceeded program targets for prevention, treatment and care. This performance is a reflection of the excellent working relationship we maintain with the Rwanda Biomedical Center, the Ministry of Health, government health facilities, community leaders, fellow implementers, and the KP/PP communities we serve, and our careful attention to capacity building, data monitoring and evaluation, and continuous quality improvement. CFHR will partner with long-term collaborator Health Development Initiative (HDI) and leverage their close relationships with KP/PP communities, in particular LGBTQ groups, throughout program design, delivery, and monitoring and evaluation. By partnering with the Rwanda Biomedical Center (RBC) and Emory University to improve high-quality data collection, information security, and analysis leading to actionable findings, we will ensure that impactful program activities are sustainably integrated into routine care to impact long-term outcomes of increasing viral load suppression and decreasing new HIV infection rates among KP/PP. Supporting data for KP/PP programming and other Rwandan National Public Health Priorities include, but are not limited to, strengthening national and local leadership and multi-sector partnerships, improving STI management, and strengthening capacity to collect and use surveillance data within national monitoring and reporting systems. In the INGANJI program, the CFHR/RBC/HDI/Emory team will continue their longstanding and fruitful collaboration to plan, provide, and coordinate effective case finding and linkage strategies to reach KP/PP (strategy 1); develop, provide, and expand tailored, quality HIV prevention services to reach and meet KP/PP needs (strategy 2); and strengthen capacity for collection and use of high-quality monitoring and evaluation, epidemiologic, and surveillance data for KP/PP programming (strategy 3). The activities which we propose were developed after a workshop in Kigali with INGANJI partners to align our efforts with ongoing KP/PP programs, leverage existing successes, and develop new activities based on current needs.
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).