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Sierra Leone
In 2022, the Joint Team provided support to the national HIV response to accelerate progress towards the 95-95-95 targets in Sierra Leone. New differentiated service delivery guidelines and related standard operating procedures supported expansion of differentiated service delivery to improve HIV treatment coverage (UNICEF, WHO, UNAIDS Secretariat). The Government officially launched the Condomize Campaign on World AIDS Day, and the National Comprehensive Condom Strategy was finalized to reduce new HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) (UNFPA).
To support implementation of the elimination of mother-to-child transmission (EMTCT) and paediatric HIV strategy, 25 national and district managers in prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) and paediatric services now have better capacity to lead implementation of newly developed district-level action plans to scale up delivery of comprehensive EMTCT and paediatric HIV services, including early infant diagnosis. The Joint Team also supported the development of national guidelines for the integration of PMTCT, nutrition, and reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health and tuberculosis services across the country (UNICEF, WHO).
Implementation of the 2022-2024 operational plan for the Education Plus Initiative improved enrolment of girls in secondary schools and their access to comprehensive sexuality education and sexual and reproductive health services, including services for survivors of gender-based violence (UNAIDS Secretariat). Following the training of 16 trainers, 59 teachers are now better equipped to deliver comprehensive sexuality education in primary and junior secondary schools (UNFPA). In addition, 100 young men were trained as champions against sexual and gender-based violence, while 500 girls participated in discussions on HIV, sexual and reproductive health, and gender-based violence during the National Girls Summit chaired by the First Lady of Sierra Leone (UNAIDS Secretariat). A total of 1150 women from 30 farmer groups were also oriented on prevention of HIV and gender-based violence during an entrepreneurship training, during which they received equipment to boost rice, palm oil, cassava and maze production for long term economic empowerment (UN Women).
In 2022, various studies and assessments were completed strengthening strategic evidence for the HIV response, thanks to the technical and financial support from the Joint Team. These included the finalization and dissemination of the 2021 Integrated Biological and Behavioural Surveillance (IBBS) results, a situation analysis of sexual exploitation among adolescent and young people, HIV estimates using the NAOMI model in all 16 districts, and a national assessment of the Procurement and Supply Chain Management (PSM) system and the Logistics Management Information System (LMIS). Electronic-based tools for community-led monitoring were launched and 42 representatives of civil society organizations were trained to strengthen community-led programming and monitoring and evidence-based advocacy, including towards improving social protection policies and prioritizing people living with HIV in food assistance and social protection programmes (UNAIDS Secretariat).