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February 23, 2007
KAZUNGULA, Zambia -- U.S. Ambassador to Zambia Carmen Martinez and Minister of Health Angela Cifire today launched the Corridors of Hope II initiative in Kazungula. The project aims to reduce unsafe sexual practices among people living along transit routes and border towns, in high-HIV prevalence communities. The project builds on the success of the innovative cross-border program started in 2000 to help protect high-risk groups from HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.
Funded by the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and implemented by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the project supports Zambia’s National HIV/AIDS Strategic Framework and calls for widespread promotion of gender sensitivity, abstinence, and faithfulness to one partner. The K46 billion ($11 million), three-year project, also promotes safe practices relevant to the age and marital status of young people. Corridors of Hope II partners will work with community leaders and residents to alter social practices that fuel HIV transmission.
In her remarks, Ambassador Martinez said: “Unless prevention remains a priority of leaders, donors, and those who battle the epidemic, tens of thousands will continue to be infected each year and the burden of treatment will grow exponentially. Effective prevention projects such as Corridors of Hope II provides tools to block the routes of infection and enables those at risk to make use of these tools.”
Minister Cifire added: “Whatever strategies we choose to use toward halting the HIV and AIDS epidemic, the guiding principles should be community or local partnership, sustainability of purpose, promotion and protection of human rights of people living with HIV and AIDS, and gender equality.”
Corridors of Hope II will provide a full-range of prevention services such as mobile and drop-in center services, counseling for risk assessment and behavior change, treatment for sexually transmitted infections, HIV counseling and testing, and condom distribution. It will reach out to young people and students with age appropriate HIV/AIDS prevention information and services. Unique to the project will be the introduction of moonlight voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) near places where people gather socially at night such as bars, clubs, truck stops, and guest houses.
Research Triangle Institute in partnership with Family
Health International will implement the project in seven areas: Livingstone,
Kazungula, Chipata, Katete, Kapiri Mposhi, Ndola, and Chirundu. In the
first year, prevention activities will reach an estimated 140,000 people,
and another 10,000 will take advantage of the VCT services.
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