This activity will be implemented in an integrated approach with the counseling and testing (CT) activities so

that AB services will be provided to individuals targeted and reached for CT.

According to the most recent Ministry of Education (MOE) statistical bulletin, over 800 teachers died in

2004. In a two year period (2002-2004), the number of deaths of teachers increased by 30%. To mitigate

this crisis, AED/EQUIP II provides technical support to the MOE and leverages World Bank ZANARA

Project funding and DFID support for HIV/AIDS line ministry workplace activities to build a sustainable MOE

HIV/AIDS Workplace Program. The Ministry's workforce is critically important in continuing education

efforts, and includes over 61,000 employees in more than 8,000 schools across the country. Some of these

schools are in remote, rural areas with fewer than five staff. While VCT and AB efforts in the urban areas

continue to be pursued, EQUIP II has the unique ability to reach MOE staff in rural areas through innovative

workplace initiatives.

In FY 06, EQUIP II continued to reach teachers through implementation of AB prevention activities. With

the lessons learned from previous year's activities, the MOE, with EQUIP II's support, initiated Teacher

Health Days in July 2006 to increase both HIV/AIDS awareness as well as the uptake of AB services.

Teacher Health Days, which offer a broad range of health services (testing for diabetes, blood pressure,

nutrition guidelines), are designed to reduce HIV-related stigma by emphasizing general health. This new

initiative continues in FY 2007 and will expand during the FY 2008 period. In FY 07, it is expected that

EQUIP II will meet or exceed its targets.

With funds for COP 08, we will maintain the level of Teacher Health Days proposed under COP 07 while at

the same time expanding coverage to rural districts. By the end of FY08, 31 additional districts (a total of 63

districts) will be implementing Teacher Health Days. In order to ensure a sustainable and integrated

approach the MOE's Provincial Committees will be responsible for the planning of Teacher Health Days. At

the same time, mobile Teacher Health Day units will be formed and consist of 2 Prevention Educators from

an existing local partner and a representative from the Malaria Control unit. EQUIP II and its partner will

ensure that they are coordinating with the Provincial Committees to provide sensitization during the health

days. These units will be responsible for reaching 9 provinces with AB/prevention and other health

messages. It is expected that 9,000 people will be reached through these events.

As mentioned under the CT submission, VCT will be made available at these events. In addition, group

counseling, individual counseling, distribution of IEC materials and education efforts related to AB will be

conducted at the events. (PEPFAR funds will be used exclusively for the HIV/AIDS related activities, with

other funds and resources from ZANARA, MOE, and Ministry of Health leveraged to address broader the

health agenda).

The communications sent out before the events will come from high-level individuals within MOE and stress

the AB message and principals and other community leaders will be engaged to reinforce these messages

at the events.

EQUIP II will also build on partnerships it created between the three unions in FY 06 and FY 07, and MOE

to bring HIV-prevention sessions and rallies to unions. A total of 350 educators from the unions will be

trained on providing information and counseling related to AB prevention to serve as peer-educators and on

-going prevention supporters. The events will include experts that will provide overall education and group

counseling. All individuals will also be supplied with IEC materials related to AB prevention for distribution at

Union Events. Capacity needs of the unions are great, but supporting them will establish a sustainable

HIV/AIDS response.

Finally, EQUIP II will continue its partnership with CHAMP to specifically bring AB education, HIV-

sensitization, and testing to schools in urban areas where many teachers can be reached at a single school.

The overall approach of EQUIP II focuses on a philosophy of sustainability. Rather than simply establishing

a stand-alone program to meet PEPFAR targets, our program is and will continue to be fully integrated into

the MOE. Specifically, staff will continue to be housed within MOE offices and work side-by-side with direct

MOE employees already engaged on a work-place program. Our staff members will seek not only to

ensure tracking of services, but training of MOE staff in relation to PEPFAR indicators and methods for

tracking. IEC materials, lesson plans, and strategies will be well documented and housed within MOE's

own file systems. While some outside partners will be engaged, the primary partners working on this effort

are the unions and the MOE itself, thereby ensuring the activities are supported by organizations that can

continue providing similar services long-after funding under PEPFAR has ceased.

All FY 2008 targets will be reached by September 30, 2009.

This activity will be implemented in an integrated approach with the EQUIP II AB activities so that AB

services will be provided to individuals targeted for and reached with counseling and testing (CT).

According to the most recent Ministry of Education (MOE) statistical bulletin, over 800 teachers died in

2004. In a two year period (2002-2004), the number of deaths of teachers increased by 30%. To mitigate

this crisis, AED/EQUIP II provides technical support to the MOE and leverages World Bank ZANARA

Project funding and DFID support for HIV/AIDS line ministry workplace activities to build a sustainable MOE

HIV/AIDS Workplace Program. The Ministry's workforce is critically important in continuing education

efforts, and includes over 61,000 employees in more than 8,000 schools across the country. Some of these

schools are in remote, rural areas with fewer than five staff. While VCT and AB efforts in the urban areas

continue to be pursued, EQUIP II has the unique ability to reach MOE staff in rural areas through innovative

workplace initiatives.

In FY 2006, EQUIP II expanded its program into the rural provinces (Central and Southern). A total of

9,232 MOE staff attended HIV/AIDS sensitization workshops during this period with a total of 2,126 MOE

staff undertaking CT. While these numbers are encouraging, they are less than those achieved in urban

areas during the first year of implementation. In rural areas, geographical coverage is extensive and

transportation challenges in the rainy season increased implementation costs. Due to this constraint, EQUIP

II has worked with the MOE to revise the strategy in order to reach more staff with CT and ensure linkages

for a comprehensive approach. In FY 2007, EQUIP II reached 20,140 individuals with counseling and

testing. and worked in 67 service outlets.

With the lessons learned from previous year's activities, the MOE, with EQUIP II's support, initiated Teacher

Health Days in July 2006 to increase both HIV/AIDS awareness as well as the uptake of CT services.

Teacher Health Days, which offer a broad range of health services (testing for diabetes, blood pressure,

nutrition guidelines), are designed to reduce HIV-related stigma by emphasizing general health. This new

initiative continued in FY 2007 and will expand during the FY 2008 period.

To achieve targets, the program will implement quarterly Teachers Health Days for teachers and their

families. HIV VCT will be offered in tents and mobile settings outside clinics in conjunction with the health

days. This approach will be integrated in the ongoing formation of the Provincial Committees (PC) under

the MOE. In FY 2008, the PCs will play a crucial role in the planning of the Teacher Health Days in urban

and rural areas. This approach will ensure that these activities are supported in a sustainable from within

the current MOE structure (PEPFAR funds will be used exclusively for the HIV/AIDS related activities, with

other funds and resources from ZANARA, MoE, and Ministry of Health leveraged to address broader the

health agenda). Tents and mobile sites posted outside the health clinics are proposed as a way of

increasing confidentiality.

EQUIP II will continue its ongoing partnership established in FY 2006 and FY 2007 with the three unions

and MOE to help mobilize teachers in accessing the Teachers Health Days, as well as in bringing VCT via

mobile services to union events. Teachers' Health Days began in FY 2006 and were specifically proposed

as a means for reaching more MOE staff in less densely populated districts where it would be impossible to

bring such services to remote schools. During FY 2008, "Teacher Health Days" will first be implemented in

4 districts during the first quarter, 6 during the second quarter, 8 during the third quarter, and 10 during the

last quarter. As such, by the end of FY 2008 Year, more than 65% of the districts in 6 Provinces will be

implementing Teachers' Health Day.

In FY 08, based on funding provided to the unions for getting teachers to the events, through coordinated

efforts with mobilization agents/focal point people in each district, and through clear messages sent from the

head of MOE (both the Permanent Secretary and Minister) marketing the events and their importance, we

will reach approximately 35 individuals (teachers and their families) per event. While it is anticipated that

not all District Health Clinics will be able to manage such events four times a year, based on an assumption

of engaging 28 different district health clinics, averaging two to three quarterly health days each, we

anticipate a total of (28 *2.5 = 70) seventy clinic health days reaching a total of 2,450 individuals in remote

locations with CT services. CT services will be offered to all individuals attending Teacher Health Days. In

addition, and under the separate submission for EQUIP II's AB activities, prevention activities and education

will also be supported at these events.

To further increase testing among employees of the MOE, EQUIP II will also work via a sub-contract with

CHAMP, a local NGO, to bring mobile testing to both urban and rural schools and, where possible, union

events. As in FY 2006, the EQUIP II program will partner with the Society for Family Health (SFH) and New

Start program to offer VCT vouchers to staff of the MOE, as well as to utilize New Start Mobile sites in

conjunction with the Teachers Health Days, and union events where feasible. At all times where CT is

offered, AB information will also be provided. EQUIP II will reach 4,000 individuals with CT accessible

through mobile testing in urban and rural schools and, where possible, union events.

The overall approach of EQUIPII focuses on a philosophy of sustainability. Rather than simply establishing

a stand-alone program to meet PEPFAR targets, our program will continue to be fully integrated into the

MOE. IEC materials, lesson plans, and strategies will be well documented and housed within MOE's own

file systems. While some outside partners will be engaged, the primary partners working on this effort will

be the unions and MOE itself, thereby ensuring that the activities are supported by organizations that can

continue providing such services long-after funding under PEPFAR has ceased.

All FY 2008 targets will be reached by September 30, 2009.