The fight against HIV/AIDS in the workplace in Cote d'Ivoire is coordinated by the Ministry of the Fight

Against AIDS (MLS) and has two main target groups: the public sector and the private sector. In the public

sector, 26 ministries have established HIV/AIDS sectoral committees, which coordinate activities by 20

functional sub-committees targeting about 40,000 civil servants. Each sectoral anti-HIV/AIDS committee is

chaired by the minister in charge of the sector and is responsible for coordinating and monitoring the

strategic orientation of all sectoral activities with regard to HIV/AIDS. In the private sector, companies have

set up 200 HIV/AIDS committees targeting about 25,000 individuals and their families. These companies

are part of three umbrella organizations that are members of the Business Coalition (CECI).

With FY07 funds, in collaboration with the MLS, Abt subpartner, FHI is providing technical assistance to the

sectoral committees and the private-sector umbrella organizations in support of HIV prevention and care

activities in the workplace, in partnership with GTZ, ILO, the Global Fund, and other partners.

FHI provides technical support to MLS in strengthening the coordination of workplace interventions, the

documentation and dissemination of best practices, the standardization of quality assurance (policy, norms,

and procedures documents) and M&E tools, and the implementation of regular participatory program

reviews and supervision.

FHI is working to strengthen collaboration and coordination among service-delivery organizations by

supporting them in the establishment and operation of technical working groups and assisting in the design

and implementation of activities. Seven ministries (Labor, Health, Education, Industry, Security, Family and

Social Affairs, and Agriculture), three trade unions, and the CECI business coalition are benefiting from this

support in providing services to staff infected and affected by HIV as well as to their families and

communities, including HIV prevention interventions, counseling and testing, peer support, and linkages to

health and social services offered by providers from the public and private sectors. FHI is also supporting

these partners in developing and implementing HIV/AIDS activities in the workplace, including introductory

HIV/AIDS sessions through sensitization of public- and private-sector managers, establishment of technical

task forces, and development of training curricula and training workshops for peer educators.

FHI is supporting workplace networks and labor unions (UGTCI, FESACI and DIGNITE) in the development

of operational plans and follow-up of activities in the areas of prevention and referral for counseling and

testing, care, treatment, and support.

With FY07 funds, FHI is continuing to disseminate the national HIV-in-the-workplace policy, best practices,

and other norms and standards documents. FHI continues to assist the Ministry of Education (MEN) and the

Ministry of Health (MOH) by supporting activities of seven technical task forces and the training of 20

trainers and 40 peer educators. In addition, FHI has extended its support to the public sector by targeting

additional ministries (Handcraft, Interior).

FHI is also contributing to strengthening the monitoring and evaluation system for workplace interventions

through training sessions, revision of indicators and data-collection tools, and support for implementation of

M&E plans.

FHI is also receiving $30,000 from the World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) to help build and strengthen health

and wellness activities for the Sustainable Tree Crop Program (STCP) over an 18-month period ending in

September 2008. The project targets four villages in the district of Abengourou and is designed to mitigate

the impact of HIV/AIDS and malaria on the agricultural population. With funds allocated by WCF and in

collaboration with key partners (STCP, MLS, MOH, ANADER, GTZ, CECI, and FDPCC), FHI is working to

conduct a situational analysis, develop prevention sessions through peer education, conduct training

sessions, and establish a referral network for services including HIV counseling and testing, care and

support, antiretroviral treatment (ART), and OVC care. Linkages have been established between the project

and local NGO/CBOs (CERAB, APROSAM). FHI is advocating for additional funds from WCF and/or others

to replicate the project in other villages and regions.

With FY08 funds, FHI will continue to assist the MLS and its Multisectoral Division in the establishment of a

collaboration platform between the private and public sectors in order to share materials and best practices

for the coordination of HIV activities in the workplace.

Based on the national workplace extension plan developed in 2006, FHI will use FY08 funds to support an

increasing number of public- and private-sector workplace committees, as well as to pursue public-private

partnerships through the STCP workplace interventions model.

Specific activities in FY08 will include:

1. Supporting the MLS Multisectoral Division in strengthening AIDS-control sectoral committees through

elaboration/review and implementation of their action plans. Two additional sector committees (ministries of

Trade and of Transport) will receive support, bringing to nine the number of workplace HIV/AIDS sectoral

committees receiving support.

2. Pursuing advocacy for HIV/AIDS-in-the-workplace programs, focusing primarily on 40 supervisors, 80

employees, and 40 influential women in the public and private sectors. Advocacy activities will be conducted

in partnership with GTZ, JHU/CCP, REPMASCI, and RIP+.

3. Continuing collaboration with PEPFAR and other partners, including the Chamber of Commerce, for the

integration of AIDS-control interventions in the workplace in the three departments hosting the IRIS model

(San Pedro, Abengourou, and Yamoussoukro), as well as in the four newly selected departments where

IRIS will extend its activities in FY08.

4. Continuing support for the 15 public- and private-sector committees in the development and

implementation of HIV/AIDS workplace activities, including the development and implementation of work

plans.

5. In collaboration with UNAIDS and ILO, updating and disseminating best practices for HIV/AIDS

workplace activities. FHI will re-examine and update a best-practice document elaborated in 2005, assess

Activity Narrative: existing practices, and organize a workshop to develop a consensus on best workplace practices and

activities.

6. Continuing the dissemination of documents related to policy, charter, minimum package of services, cost

analysis, and finance mechanisms for workplace programs.

7. In collaboration with Measure and CDC/Projet Retro-CI, continuing to strengthen the national M&E

system for AIDS control in the workplace through the revision of indicators, evaluation and revision of data-

collection tools, and training of 60 actors in the private sector and 20 from the public sector.

8. Supporting the MLS in mapping workplace interventions in order to better understand the distribution of

public and private workplace activities and identify needs and gaps.

9. Pursuing additional funds to replicate the public-private partnership with the WCF and STCP in five

additional villages of Abengourou and in two additional regions where STCP intervenes.

FHI will continue to implement an M&E plan tracking project-specific, PEPFAR, and national indicators and

will report to the USG strategic information team quarterly program results and ad hoc requested program

data. To help build a unified national M&E system, FHI will participate in quarterly SI meetings and will

implement decisions taken during these meetings.