EAC HIV and AIDS Strategic Plan.pdf
This strategic plan lays out the strategic intents for East African Community (EAC) HIV and AIDS program for the period 2015-2020. The plan will set the boundaries within which the EAC will implement its HIV and AIDS, TB and STIs interventions within the spheres of its mandate. The costed plan will further be a tool for resource mobilization as well as being a reference point for addressing HIV and AIDS, TB and STIs issues that are trans-boundary in nature within the region.
Specific Objectives of the strategic plan includes:
• To reduce new cases of HIV by 60%, TB by 50% and STIs by 50% by 2020 in the EAC region
• To reduce HIV and TB related mortality by 75% by 2020 in the EAC region
• To increase access and utilization of integrated HIV, TB and STI services by 50% in 2020
Even though all Partner States have generalized HIV epidemics, with some of the highest rates of TB infection and disease burden in the world, there are still higher levels of infection and transmission within certain geographic areas, as well as among some key populations and venerable groups. Although this strategic plan promotes a broad framework for addressing HIV, STIs and TB at a general population level, it also identifies priority populations that should be targeted for specific prevention, care, treatment and support interventions based on the analysis of the EAC epidemic. The risk of HIV, STIs or TB is not equal for all populations. In the context of this strategic plan and for the purpose of regional programming, the priority populations include, but it not limited to:
- Adolescent girls and young women
- Migrant populations and mobile workers.
- Orphans and other vulnerable children and adolescents
- People with disabilities
- Young people in and out of school
- Adolescents living with HIV and AIDS
- Infant and young children
This strategic plan makes provision that these populations will be targeted with different, but specific, interventions during implementation to achieve maximum impact. The EAC in collaboration with partner states will ensure geographical mapping and geographical prioritization of interventions for Key and Vulnerable populations for HIV and TB especially for regional aspects of the response.