ITPC Global and ITPC WA have been selected by the Global Fund as Principal Recipients of the Regional Community Observatory on Treatment in West Africa project for the period 2017-2019. This Project aims on the one hand to improve the offer of services to PLHIV attending health structures and; on the other hand, to advocate, to considerably reduce stock-outs of ARVs and inputs in care centres.
To succeed in this bold bet, the Regional Community Observatory presents itself as a mechanism that systematically collects data to monitor trends in access to treatment along the HIV Cascade, and uses them for targeted actions. The observatory also aims to be a community monitoring mechanism led by PLHIV to improve access to quality ARV treatment without interruption.
As part of the implementation of this project, ELEVEN (11) countries in the sub-region (Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, Benin, Guinea Bissau, Guinea Conakry, Togo, Senegal, Liberia, Sierra-Leone, Gambia , and Ghana) were identified after a situational analysis for the implementation of the activities of this project through the networks of PLHIV.
The second year of implementation of the project by the SRs took place in each of the eleven beneficiary countries. The results obtained both at national and regional level have made it possible to realize the need to take stock, learn lessons and review the various SR action plans with the ITPC Global and ITPC WA teams.
It is in this context that an activity review and re-planning workshop was organized from December 3 to 4, 2018 in Assinie.
The first day began on Monday, December 3, 2018 at 8:30 a.m. with a word of welcome from Mr. Alain Manouan, Project Director of the Community Observatory “Thank you all for being here with us; as you can see, we have changed settings, we are here in the village of Assinie to take stock of the activities carried out during the year 2018. During these two days, we will work together, we will take stock which should highlight, at each level, the programmatic and financial performance of each of you. I am very happy to find you all in good health, we have been in the same boat for two years and I am really proud of you, of us. We have done a good job together and it is with great pleasure that I share with you the Global Fund's feedback on our performance for the year 2017. We were rated at A2, which is rare for a first year of implementation. I would therefore like to congratulate you for this work accomplished, and take this opportunity to express my gratitude. It is also important that we address issues related to the ownership and sustainability of observatories. Wame Mosime, Director of Programs and Advocacy stressed the importance of these two days, "These two days are important for us, because as Alain said, we must not only continue to increase our performance together but we must also achieve the next objectives, this 3rd year, we must be seen and heard, we must show the relevance of our project and our strength. We will have to work a lot more, sacrifice a little more to meet the challenge. This is how the work related to the planning of year 3 of the Global Fund grant began.
The various focal points of the networks under recipients of the RCTO project took the floor in turn to present to all the participants their achievements of the year 2018. Plenary discussions served to improve the understanding of certain activities but above all to explain what 2019 will be like in terms of commitments and accomplishments.
