Project profile — SIM Canada - Program 2008-2012

The program aims to reduce HIV transmission and increase the continuum of care for HIV-positive individuals and their families in Ethiopia and Niger. The program enables and assists community-based organizations to address and eliminate gaps to help create a more cohesive HIV/AIDS care system.

N/A

Results achieved as of the end of the project (September 2013) include: In Niger, (i) there has been a consistent increase in voluntary HIV testing and counselling at the partner hospital, including a 36% increase in the number of pregnant women tested for HIV in order to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV; and (ii) 14,044 blood donors were tested for HIV, 295 of them were found to be HIV positive and were given counselling and treatment. In Ethiopia, (i) mobile testing for HIV was introduced in response to local requests to provide services to hard-to-reach populations, thereby increasing the community reach of the program; and (ii) home-based care programs were established to provide medical, nutritional and educational support to HIV-positive patients and their families, with an annual average of 92 patients in Addis Ababa and over 188 in Shashemene. These results contributed to increasing care and quality of life for HIV-infected individuals and their families, reducing risks of HIV transmission in communities through greater knowledge, and increasing access to prevention tools enabling safe practices.