3 December 2024 | Informations
SIERRA LEONEFighting HIV / AIDS
Four ways Solthis is promoting the Rights Path
According to UNAIDS, the substantial progress that has been made in the HIV response is directly linked to progress in protecting human rights.
In commemoration of World AIDS Day 2024, with the theme “Take the Rights Path: My Health, My Right!”. Solthis highlights 4 key ways it has been promoting the rights of people living with, at risk of or affected by HIV – especially including people who have been most excluded and marginalized.
- Development and Use of Patients Rights Charter in Sierra Leone
During the implementation of Empower project, Solthis in partnership with the Network of HIV Positives in Sierra Leone (NETHIPS) provided a dual strengthening to service providers and recipients of care by going through the angle of the rights. The project empowered PLHIV in decisions concerning their rights and their health, including consent to HIV test, right to access health care services based on non-discrimination and treatment literacy as well as promotion of service provider-client communication.
2. Capacity Building
Solthis has embarked on different capacity building strategies such as classroom training, onsite training mentorship, internship etc. to promote quality care delivery to HIV clients across it 35 supported sites and among HIV Support Groups in Sierra Leone, in collaboration with NETHIPS. Training components on HIV testing services (HTS) include consent to HIV test and confidentiality. These capacity building activities have improved linkage to and retention in care in service delivery sites. From the health facility performance score dashboard (Q1, 2023 – Q2, 2024), linkage to care among adults and children (excluding pregnant women) who tested positive and among pregnant women who tested positive was 95% each and lost to follow up was 7% as at Q2, 2024. Additional information on Solthis capacity building approach and results are available in the documents below.
Policy briefs:
- Investing in human resources for health with continuing capacity building mixed strategy to improve HIV quality of care and performance in Sierra Leone.
- Investing in HIV community-led peer support groups to empower recipients of care and improve HIV quality of care in Sierra Leone.
Lessons learned papers:
- Solthis capacity building strategy to increase health facilities performance and HIV quality of care in Sierra Leone.
- Mentorship/coaching approach to contribute to health facilities performance and HIV quality of care in Sierra Leone.
- Support groups’ pivotal role to empower recipients of care and improve HIV quality of care.
3. Promoting Commodity Availability (Right to Care and Treatment)
Rights of PLHIVs include access to antiretroviral medication whenever the need arises. Solthis supports District Health Medical teams and Health facilities to monitor commodities stock and mile distribution, conducts inter-facility redistribution of antiretroviral medication in 35 supported health facilities across 7 districts. ARVs stock-out and expiries were reduced to the barest minimum in the supported health facilities.
4. Reduction of Stigma and Discrimination
Solthis in its years of operation in Sierra Leone has always maintained a human rights approach to implementation. Human rights are placed at the center with active participation of the communities through collaboration with NETHIPS. This has resulted in a significant reduction of stigma and discrimination over the years in the communities in which PLHIVs live. This has improved the health systems strengthening beyond the health facilities as the traditional means of service provision in the past. With a lot of work that needs to be done, this shows that with human rights protection, the journey to ending AIDS in Sierra Leone can be made easier and shorter. This short 4-minute titled The Role of Support Groups in improving quality of care among recipients of HIV care in Sierra Leone illustrates how Solthis work is reducing stigma and discrimination.
