Handbook on Access to HIV/AIDS-Related Treatment : a Collection of Information, Tools and Resources for NGOs, CBOs and PLWHA Groups: Chapter 2: Foundations of treatment: 2.3 Working with others to improve access to treatment: 2.3.A Partnerships to improve access to treatment

Handbook on Access to HIV/AIDS-Related Treatment : a Collection of Information, Tools and Resources for NGOs, CBOs and PLWHA Groups
(2003; 130 pages) [French]

Table of Contents

Preface
Acknowledgements
Acronyms
Introduction: Read this first!
	1. What is this handbook?
	2. Why was this handbook developed?
	3. How was this handbook developed?
	4. Who is this handbook for?
	5. How can this handbook be used?
	6. What is in the chapters of this handbook?
	7. What materials are needed to use this handbook?
	8. Who developed this handbook?
	9. Further sources of information
	Example of workshop schedule
Chapter 1: First questions to ask
	1.1 Care, support and treatment
		1.1.A Care and support
		1.1.B Treatment
	1.2 Linking treatment and prevention
	1.3 Access to treatment
		1.3.A Availability of treatment
		1.3.B Accessibility of treatment
	Information Sheet 1: Barriers to access to treatment
	Information Sheet 2: Factors affecting access to treatment
	1.4 Further sources of information
Chapter 2: Foundations of treatment
	2.1 The basic elements of treatment work
		2.1.A Supportive relationships for treatment work
		2.1.B Knowledge, skills and attitudes for treatment work
		2.1.C An ethical approach to treatment work
		2.1.D Information for treatment work
	2.2 How different treatments vary
	2.3 Working with others to improve access to treatment
		2.3.A Partnerships to improve access to treatment
		2.3.B Advocacy to improve access to treatment
	Treatment Information Sheet
	Treatment Assessment Sheet
	2.4 Further sources of information
Chapter 3: Putting treatment into practice
	3.1 Resources for HIV/AIDS-related treatment work
	3.2 Drugs for HIV/AIDS-related treatment
		3.2.A Managing HIV/AIDS-related drugs
		3.2.B The essential medicines concept
		3.2.C Guidelines for treatment
		3.2.D Choosing the right drugs
		3.2.E Drug names
		3.2.F Using drugs effectively
		3.2.G Fact sheet - antiretrovirals
	3.3 Sourcing and looking after good-quality drugs
		3.3.A Drug quality
		3.3.B Sources of drugs
		3.3.C Storing drugs
		3.3.D Keeping records and ordering drugs
	3.4 Providing drugs to people living with HIV/AIDS
		3.4.A Paying for HIV/AIDS-related treatment
		3.4.B Drug information
		3.4.C Dispensing drugs
		3.4.D Managing transport for HIV/AIDS-related treatment
	3.5 Training and management for treatment work
	3.6 Further sources of information
Chapter 4: Assessing needs and resources, and deciding what to do
	4.1 The assessment process
	4.2 Assessment frameworks
		4.2.A Assessing needs and resources - people living with HIV/AIDS and the community
		4.2.B Assessing needs and resources - the local environment
		4.2.C Assessing needs and resources - your NGO/CBO/PLWHA group
	4.3 Deciding what to do
		4.3.A Analysing your findings
		4.3.B Reaching a decision
		4.3.C Communicating your decision
	Information Sheet 3: Thinking creatively about what your group can do - treatment in context
	4.4 Further sources of information
Chapter 5: Learning from and improving HIV/AIDS-related treatment work
	5.1 Monitoring and evaluating HIV/AIDS-related treatment work
		5.1.A Keeping records of your work
		5.1.B Monitoring your work
		5.1.C Evaluating your work
	5.2 Changing and improving HIV/AIDS-related treatment work
		5.2.A Making the most of new resources and linkages
		5.2.B Coping with changes
		5.2.C Sharing your experiences with others
		5.2.D Scaling up, scaling down or staying the same
	5.3 Further sources of information
	Organizations that contributed to the development of this handbook
Back cover

2.3.A Partnerships to improve access to treatment

No one person or organization on their own can address all the treatment needs of people living with HIV/AIDS. Working with others can help to improve access to new and existing treatments and resources. It can also improve the quality of the treatment that is provided and help in reaching more people.

Examples of the complementary roles of different types of organizations include the following:

• Communities and solidarity groups can provide personal support for people living with HIV/AIDS and keep others in touch with treatment needs.
• NGOs/CBOs can provide people, training, information, ideas, material support and skills (such as in counselling) for treatment work.

• Government systems can provide policies, leadership, human resources and material support (such as skilled health workers, drugs and medical supplies) for treatment work;

• Businesses can provide financial or 'in kind' sponsorship for treatment work, and encourage public support.

• Professional associations and academic institutions can contribute knowledge and guidance on treatment, as well as contributing research and generating new knowledge that may be helpful in improving treatment.

• Donors can provide funds for treatment work and facilitate learning from the experiences of other countries.

• Religious organizations can provide volunteers for treatment work, mobilize community support and help to reduce discrimination.

• Media can provide accurate information about treatment issues, help to raise awareness and reduce stigma.

Participatory group activity

Aim

To identify those with whom an NGO/CBO can work to improve access to HIV/AIDS-related treatment in their community.

Instructions

1. Explain the aim of the activity.
2. Divide participants so that they are working with colleagues from their own NGO/CBO.

3. Ask participants to write the name of their NGO/CBO in a circle in the centre of a piece of flipchart paper.

4. Ask participants to brainstorm about what people and organizations their NGO/CBO could work with to improve access to HIV/AIDS-related treatment in their community.

5. Ask participants to write the names of each of the people and organizations in a circle around their NGO/CBO. Ask them to draw a line connecting each one to their NGO/CBO.

6. Bring everybody back together and ask the groups to share their results. Encourage the participants to ask each other questions and to make comments.

7. Facilitate a group discussion about what has been learned from the activity, based upon questions such as:

• What practical support and resources can each person or organization bring to work on access to treatment?
• Which people or organizations are already involved in work on access to treatment?

• What are they doing? What next steps should the NGO/CBO take to form a partnership with the people and organizations that they have identified?

Facilitators' notes

• Encourage participants to think broadly and creatively about who they can work with to improve access to HIV/AIDS-related treatment. For example, help them to think beyond medical professionals and also to consider groups such as religious organizations and businesses.
• Remind participants that, for drug-related treatment work to be effective, their NGOs/CBOs will also need to form partnerships with groups involved in other areas of treatment work, such as counselling and nutritional support.

Example

At a skills-building workshop, a participating NGO called Thandizani identified organizations with which it could build partnerships to improve access to HIV/AIDS-related treatment in its community.

Afterwards, the facilitator led a group discussion about what had been learned from the activity. For example, participants agreed that working in partnership can not only increase the quantity of work on access to HIV/AIDS-related treatment, but also improve the quality, because it allows groups to share their lessons and ideas.

Reference: Adapted from a workshop on access to HIV-related treatment, Catholic Dioceses of Ndola and the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, Zambia, April, 2001.