Community Led Monitoring Program Advocacy workshop was conducted on September 30/2024 at Adama town.

The Advocacy workshop was organized by a CSO Ask Us Positive Children, Adolescents and Youth National Association.

The project was supported by the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)

More than 35 participants from Addis Ababa and Diredawa city Administration representing Addis Ababa Health Bureau, Diredawa HAPCO, Health workers from health facilities, care providers working on ART clinics, and service providers, Data collectors, CCM/E representatives, participated in the Advocacy workshop entitled Strengthen the capacity of communities to gather, analyze and use data for improved availability, accessibility, acceptability and affordability of HIV services.

The CLM data was collected based on the Availability of Service, Accessibility, Quality of Service, affordability from Addis Ababa City Administration: (Bole and Yeka Health Center and one DIC center and in Bole from Dire Dawa City Administration:  Diredawa- Dilchora Hospital and Goro Health Center. and after Data collection, analysis and dissemination was conducted 

The findings were presented and discussed with the stake holders based on the area of service delivery being monitored for Adolescent and young people living with the Virus and Female sex workers (FSW)

The major gaps identified are

• Lack of separate service outlet for pediatrics in Goro and Yeka HC
• No Dedicated staff assigned for pediatrics and adolescents in Yeka and Goro Hc.
• APSS program is not functional at Yeka and Goro HC
• Stigma and discrimination in other service outlet continues a big issue for Adolescent and Adolescent (Card room, Security, Pharmacy, Laboratory other OPD)
• lack availability, accessibility and affordability of OI drugs (Most antibiotic and Antiviral Medications are not exempted
• Lack condoms in Bole DIC is burning issues
• Lack of Service Integration in Bole DIC (they referred to HC for other services)
• lack of updated information (DSD, Prep, PEP, U=U)

The following Actions were taken to address the identified gaps.

• Assessment findings were disseminated timely.
• Action plan developed together with CLM committee and health care provider
• Close follow up and review the findings
• Advocacy workshop is conducted both in AA and DD (both RHB is awarded about all the findings)
• Continuous discussion with CLM committee and other concerned stakeholders and many issues are improved (health care providers got a training on stigma free care, and they are establishing
  • Grievance Committee for specifically for stigma and discrimination
  • awareness creation is conducted for concerned stakeholders (Security, lab & Pharmacy) and discussion with facility staffs
• orientation, updates and experience sharing is conducted for those lagging behind
• Individual counseling and follow up also given for those who identified dug data collection
• Since CLM is a new initiative, most of the health care providers and client didn’t have information about Community led monitoring, so we tried to deliver some basic information about the program all the implementation period.