Management of Programs for HIV/AIDS Prevention, Treatment, Care and Support among Injecting Drug Users

This course has been developed by APMG as a practical program that is skills-based and designed to enhance sustainability of outcomes, particularly in developing and transitional countries.

The course design provides the maximum opportunity for learning through participatory and experiential learning processes that include structured presentations, case studies, group work, and field visits. 

• National and Provincial government officials managing HIV and drugs programs;
• Staff of international and national non-government organizations managing HIV and drugs programs;
• World Bank staff managing HIV loans and projects
• Frontline managers of HIVprograms targeting injecting and other drug users.
• Allied health and other professionals.

 The course covers the following six modules:

1. Strategic and Program Planning:

• Includes an overview of epidemiology, population size estimation, WHO Rapid Assessment and Response and other data collection methods and data analysis.
• Outcome: Participants understand epidemiological and other bases for planning HIV programs targeting IDUs

2. Integrating Monitoring and Evaluation into Program Management:

• Includes overview of methods, examples of processes undertaken by different types of interventions, ways of integrating monitoring with other program activities.
• Outcome: Participants understand monitoring and evaluation methods used in harm reduction programs and gain skills in implementing these methods

3. Principles and Practice of Effective Work with Injecting Drug Users:

• Includes exploration of principles of effective work; description of and evidence for effectiveness of interventions for HIV prevention, treatment, care and support among IDUs.
• Outcome: Participants understand principles on which effective programs are built and evidence base for various interventions targeting IDUs

4. Preventing HIV Transmission among Injecting Drug Users:

• Includes practical information on establishing and managing programs specifically targeting IDUs: outreach, needle-syringe, information-education-communication (IEC), drug treatment (including substitution treatment) and advocacy.
• Outcome: Participants understand characteristics of main prevention interventions and gain skills in choosing appropriate interventions for their situation.

5. HIV Testing, and Treatment, Care and Support (TTCS) of HIV Positive Injecting Drug Users:

• Includes practical information on establishing and managing programs specifically designed to ensure appropriate Voluntary Counselling and Testing and HIV treatment of IDUs; care and support activities shown to attract and assist IDUs; and methods of integrating TTCS and drug treatment.
• Outcome: Participants understand characteristics of main TTCS interventions and gain skills in choosing appropriate interventions for their situation.

6. Finalising an Effective Action Plan

• Includes exercises throughout the training course to ensure that learned information and skills are used in participants’ work.
• Outcome: Each participant will develop a clear action plan for implementation in their workplace.

Evaluations are available from prior deliveries of this training program in Chiang Mai Thailand in December 2004; and in Bali Indonesia in September 2005.

A Russian version of this training course has been developed and will be available soon. Negotiations are under way for adaptation of the course materials into other languages.

More information
For information about the next delivery of this training program in English or about production of course materials in other languages, please contact APMG