Global HIV/AIDS Initiative Nigeria- Reproductive Health (GHAIN-RH)

In Nigeria, HIV-infected women account for almost 60% of all adults living with HIV. Fewer than five percent of pregnant HIV-positive women are reached by services to prevent mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT), and more than 73,000 children are born infected with HIV each year.  The Global HIV/AIDS Initiative Nigeria (GHAIN) is one of the largest comprehensive HIV/AIDS projects ever implemented in a developing country. GHAIN’s mandate is to rapidly strengthen and expand a wide range of HIV/AIDS services to support the government of Nigeria’s response to the epidemic. GHAIN is a partnership between international organizations coordinated by Family Health International. GHAIN’s partners combine leadership in cutting-edge science and clinical care with a proven ability to rapidly implement and expand large-scale HIV-AIDS programs.

   

GHAIN Reproductive Health (GHAIN-RP) is an important component of the larger umbrella project that focuses on integrating reproductive health, family planning and HIV services to provide better client care. The project empowers Government of Nigeria officials to reduce unmet need for family planning and to strengthen PMTCT services by reducing unintended pregnancies among HIV-infected clients.

GHAIN-RH’s objectives are to raise awareness of and commitment to integrated family planning and HIV programming among key stakeholders and to expand family planning service availability by providing technical assistance to local organizations interested in developing integrated family planning and HIV programming. GHAIN-RH’s primary focus areas include integrating counseling, testing, and family planning services; strengthening the family planning component of PMTCT; and meeting the family planning needs of HIV positive clients including those on antiretroviral therapy. GHAIN-RH also develops and evaluates “integration sites” within the umbrella project to increase access to integrated family planning and HIV prevention, care, and treatment services.

GHAIN-RH meets the family planning needs of their clients through counseling and testing, PMTCT and anti-retroviral therapy. PMTCT and anti-retroviral providers are equipped to extensively discuss family planning within the context of HIV. In addition, family planning workers operating in GHAIN’s facilities provide appropriate counseling and other related health services to clients with HIV.

• Project Name:The Global HIV/AIDS Initiative Nigeria – Reproductive Health (GHAIN-RH)
• Partner: Family Health International
• Annual Budget: $700,000
• Life of Activity:2004 – 2011
• Geographic Areas: Nationwide