National Strategic Plan (NSP)
With over 13 years of work in the field of HIV in Ghana, WAAF has contributed immensely towards the efforts of the National response. However, it is a known fact that despite all of these efforts, HIV is still not fully under control and the infection still continues to spread.
There are various factors to this phenomenon, ranging from ignorance, lack of access to prevention and treatment, all the way down to stigmatization preventing people from seeking health care or defaulting from health care which again leads to the spread of the disease.
It is therefore very crucial that everyone involved in the fight against HIV continues to do so to the best of their abilities, ensuring that they, in the process, tackle all of the above mentioned factors. WAAF is strategically positioned with multiple offices in the country as well as good collaboration with many other CSO’s and CBO’s allowing us to reach out to many, especially hard to reach persons with HIV related matters.
The onsite clinics also enables the organization to even go beyond just prevention and actually ensure that persons identified to be HIV positive as well as HIV expectant mothers receive quality friendly management ensuring they comply to treatment but also educate others as the clinics and treatment are used as gateways to prevention.
With the opportunity to be part of the NSP, WAAF will be able to carry on with its mission which is to help battle the spread of HIV and AIDS pandemic and mitigate its effect on communities by developing and implementing pragmatic intervention programmes/activities in conjunction to establishing care and support centres, a mission we have been working towards for the past 13 years.
WAAF will use the same strategy applied to the MSHAP (former Ghana AIDS Commission funded project) implementation where we were able to reach many persons on various matters pertaining to HIV prevention, HIV counseling and testing as well as distribution of IEC materials and condoms through working with smaller community based organizations. With these organizations well known in their areas as well as with their specific district assembly bodies, it was easy to get all relevant parties quickly on board to collaborate towards the goal of reducing the spread of HIV infection.
It also made it possible for WAAF to reach out to a wide geographical area which included hard remote communities within the Dangbe East (now Ada East Municipality); Ashaiman Municipality and 4 submetros in the Greater Accra Region: Ablekuma Central, Okai Koi North, Ayawaso East and Ayawaso West Wuogon.
Finally, WAAF will continue to work with trained Peer Educators who will be able to approach their peers in an easier manner. Activities include:
1. One on one counseling/education
2. (small) group counseling/education
3. Video & film shows community durbars
4. Condom promotion and distribution
5. Distribution of IEC materials
6. Outreach HIV counseling and testing
7. Refresher training for Peer Educators
8. Review meetings and M&E