The Role of NGOs in Major Development Initiatives
For more information, contact Nasserie Carew
Pathfinder International’s Role in PEPFAR Service Delivery
By Jodi DiProfio, Program Coordinator, Pathfinder International, and
Kara Kilpatrick, Program Assistant, Pathfinder International
Pathfinder International has worked in developing countries for the past 50 years, and pioneers and implements innovative, sustainable interventions that foster lasting change in the area of reproductive health, including HIV/AIDS prevention and care. Pathfinder enhances its extensive capabilities in community and facility-based service delivery through creative partnerships with NGOs and private and public-sector organizations. By implementing new and innovative approaches to HIV/AIDS prevention and care, Pathfinder has experienced much success, as exemplified by its PEPFAR-funded work in Tanzania. (PEPFAR is the U.S. government project entitled the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.)
Tanzania has one of the highest HIV prevalence rates in the world, and at 10.9 percent, the Dar es Salaam region is the hardest hit. By providing home-based care for people living with HIV/AIDS, Pathfinder’s Tutunzane program (Kiswahili for let’s take care of each other) not only reaches clients who are physically or financially unable to travel to health facilities, but also helps ease the burden HIV/AIDS has placed on the traditional medical infrastructure.
The community home-based care model is based on community-wide prevention and mobilization efforts around HIV/AIDS. Community health workers trained by the Tutunzane program regularly visit affected people to provide caregivers with practical nursing skills and emotional support. They teach clients about living positively with HIV/AIDS, provide palliative care and basic nursing support, help prevent and treat opportunistic infections, and make referrals to health and social services.
To compliment the skills taught by the Tutunzane-trained community health workers, community home-based care providers monitor the clients’ adherence to antibiotics regimes to prevent opportunistic infections and provide counseling on treatment with anti-retroviral medications. Family members receive training on caring for people living with HIV/AIDS, and c aregivers are taught how to maintain a clean living environment, prevent cross infections, and adopt a supportive attitude.
With Pathfinder technical support to the implementation partners in recruiting and training individuals to help their communities, the Tutunzane program has experienced much success. Given its success as a service delivery model for people living with HIV and AIDS at the community level, Pathfinder now faces the challenge of scaling up this successful model, expanding prevention interventions and strengthening community mobilization efforts.
The Pathfinder International Tutuzane Leadership Team:
Nelson Keyonzo, Tanzania Country Representative
Caroline Mushi, Tutunzane Project Director
