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Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation Secure
the FutureTechnical Assistance Programme
(BMSF STF TAP)
The Department of Health Promotion of the
Caritas Development Congo (Caritas)
REGIONAL FOCUS:
Goma, BandunduProvince, and Kwikit, North Kivu Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) / BACKGROUND
The Department of Health Promotion of the Caritas Development Congo (Caritas) is a philanthropic mission of the Roman Catholic Church. It operates in all the nine provinces of the DRC. Caritas works through a two-tier structure: a diocese and a Caritas of parishes. Caritas runs 249 (49%) of the 500 health districts in the country,
THE PARTNERSHIP
The Democratic Republic of the Congo, the vast central African country suffering the impact of a protracted civil war and resultant poverty, was least likely to escape the scourge of HIV/AIDS that has left most parts of the continent reeling in its wake.
1 376 230 people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) are infected through blood transfusions rather than sexual transmission. Only 46.8% of transfused blood is screened, either for reasons of lack of equipment and proficient personnel.As a result, the transfusion of unscreened blood compromises all HIV programmes, including PMTCT.
In an attempt to circumvent this challenge, BMSF STF TAP partnered with Caritas in 2009 to support 10 health facilities in Goma, Bandundu Province, and Kwikit, North Kivu Province, to increase the safety of blood used for transfusions.
TAP assistance provided in the training on HIV/AIDS for blood donors; community mobilization and targeting donor groups; Monitoring and Evaluation to design aneffective and comprehensive plan of intervention.
During safe blood transfusion campaigns, Caritas conducts Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) and disseminates HIV awareness messages among volunteer donors – a perfect strategy for primary prevention of HIV/AIDS.
HIV positive volunteers are referred for HIV treatment and support while HIV negative volunteer blood donors are encouraged to spread prevention messages during community mobilization campaigns.
Caritas held 107 community mobilization campaigns and sensitized almost 10 000 people in the space of a year. While Goma had the highest number of community mobilization outreach campaigns, Kikwit had more people donating blood.
The prevalence of HIV/AIDS was lower in both areas compared to the national rate.
The overall risk rate of 1.04 % of HIV transmission through blood transfusion was avoided through this project with a risk rate of 0.84 % in Goma and 1.17% in Kikwit.The drive in the two regions saw blood collected from 4208 people. Of this number 172 specimens of blood collected was discarded.
RESULTS
  • The 10 health facilities targeted by the project are fully covered by safe blood interventions.
  • Blood pockets were accessible and available in health facilities with “cold chain” over the period.
  • All donors recruited in health facilities covered by the project and which did not have “cold chains”have been given a four-star grading required for the qualification of blood transfusion.
  • The project helped to prevent 202 cases of HIV transmission and other blood transmittable diseases (418 case of hepatitis/ syphilis) during the period of blood safety intervention in the 10 health areas.
  • 8749 blood transfusions, 3380 in Goma and 5369 for Kikwit, were conducted.
  • 58 workers including 14 in Kikwit and 44 in Goma were trained in blood transfusion
  • 119 community meetings, 81 in Goma and 38 in Kikwit were held to mobilize behavioural change and voluntary blood donation. About 11457 people, 7214 in Goma and 4243 in Kikwit, were reached through the campaigns.
  • 82 peer recruiters were trained
LESSONS LEARNED
  • A programme to address discrimination and stigmatization of PLWA should have formed part of the safe blood transfusion project
  • Information, Education and Communication (IEC) training should form part of the HIV peer recruiters’ capacity building programme for community mobilization
  • A good monitoring and dissemination of the results may change the strategy for blood transfusion programme.

SCOPE OF PARTNERSHIP:
Training on HIV/AIDS for blood donors; community mobilisation and targeting of donor groups; Monitoring and Evaluation support to design a comprehensive plan.
OBJECTIVES:
To reduce the rate of unsafe blood transfusion and the risk of children under five and mothers acquiring HIV and other blood borne infections, compromising HIV programmes including PMTCT
VALUE OF ASSISTANCE
US $ US$372,850
PARTNERSHIP DURATION:
One year