Reprogramming August08: Funding decrease by$400,000.

HIV/AIDS has been a cross cutting theme in the design, implementation, and evaluation of FS activities,

along with gender, capacity building, and monitoring and evaluation, since the beginning of the project,

which has been supported by development assistance monies until now. The PEPFAR team is requesting

the addition a new activity for Forte Saude to undertake a number of activities that directly correlate to the

prevention of mother-to-child transmission services within ante-natal care settings and the reproductive

health program overall. The work of Forte Saude with PEPFAR funds can be broken down into three areas,

they are: technical assistance, training, and quality improvement.

Technical assistance will be provided by Forte Saude to the Government of Mozambique in the

development of policies, strategies and guidelines in the areas of RH and CH, including components of

Nutrition, Malaria and Epidemics and support for adoption, dissemination and implementation in the target

provinces. FS will also continue in its leadership role and assist the Ministry of Health in finalizing the

translation and adaptation of cervical cancer training materials, including infection prevention aspects.

Finally, support the development of guides and materials for expanding the SRH/CH quality improvement

process, including HIV/AIDS prevention and PMTCT within the provinces where FS is already working.

These materials will support the central and the provincial level of MOH to implement the expansion of the

quality improvement process

Forte Saude will undertake a wide array of training activities. FS will assist and ensure the organization of

two clinical update courses on MNH, including PMTCT, for health professionals from 18 health units and six

DPS involved on the quality improvement process (total of 54 participants). Clinical updates need to be

provided to health workers to ensure they have the knowledge and skills to carry out their work in SRH and

NCH services delivery within the context of the quality improvement process. These updates are usually

refreshers. FS will assist the MOH determine what updates are necessary and subsequently with the

development of the materials.

Forte Saude will provide assistance to strengthen the information and communication technologies and

monitoring and evaluation in the areas of Reproductive Health (RH), Child Health (CH), Expanded Program

of Immunization, nutrition and malaria, at the central level and in the target provinces of Sofala, Manica,

Nampula, and Zambezia, Gaza, and Maputo. FORTE Saúde has been working with the MOH (specifically

the Dept of Prevention and Health Promotion) to develop a plan of action to improve the quality of Sexual

and Reproductive Health (SRH) and Neonatal and Child Health Services (NCH). The Quality Improvement

(QI) process is based on standards (Standards-Based Management and Recognition program developed by

JHPIEGO). FS has been actively engaged with the Ministry of Health in the development of quality

standards for SRH and NCH services delivery based on national policies, guidelines and protocols including

measurement instruments. FS, using PEPFAR funds will conclude with the implementation of Module III,

which aims to consolidate health teams' abilities to implement the QI process and evaluate progresses in

their facilities; addresses ways to sustain this momentum. Technical support for implementation through

supervision of the health facilities and strengthening local PVOs' abilities to provide local - based technical

assistance (TA). This includes TA for health facilities to establish their QI baselines, development of health

facility action plans to improve quality, and carrying out their first internal progress evaluation and

subsequent assessments.