Detailed Mechanism Funding and Narrative

Details for Mechanism ID: 16640
Country/Region: Ghana
Year: 2013
Main Partner: University of California at San Francisco
Main Partner Program: NA
Organizational Type: University
Funding Agency: HHS/CDC
Total Funding: $0

University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) has been collaborating with the Government of Ghana partners Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) and Ghana Health Service (GHS) in the assessment of high-priority most at-risk populations in Ghana, namely female sex workers (FSW) and men who have sex with men (MSM). UCSF worked with GAC, NACP and other stakeholders to identify existing data gaps and will collaborate in enhancing surveillance, program and special studies to help identify surveillance gaps to be addressed with in-country partners.

In Ghana, there is currently a potential for injecting drug use to exacerbate the current HIV epidemics in the country, where HIV prevalence is already high among other MARPs, if the needs of PWID are not addressed through a harm reduction approach with a comprehensive package of evidence-based interventions.

Funding for Strategic Information (HVSI): $0

For this reprogrammed funds, UCSF will continue to provide technical assistance and mentoring to support the development and fielding of MARPs surveillance activities focusing on People who inject drugs (PWID). Working with GAC, UCSF will undertake formative assessment to highlight the social, economic and behavioral vulnerability to HIV of PWID. This data is essential for HIV prevention program among PWID and also provides the basis for the feasibility and sampling method for the proposed IBBS among PWID

The formative assessment should include a situational analysis (desk review) of PWID in Ghana, the mapping and description of PWID networks, a gender analysis for PWID and their partners, identification of gatekeepers and barriers to access services, the type and administration of recreational drugs used, risk perceptions on injecting drugs practices and sexual behaviors, social and support networks, stakeholders network, and type and locations of interventions for PWID and their partner, as well as the type of services needed such as NSP (type of syringes etc) . The project will build Ghanaian capacity for long-term PWID program simultaneously strengthening NGO and government partners and the services they deliver