Spotlight On: HIV/AIDS

Abt Global strengthens HIV/AIDS prevention strategies and expands treatment availability worldwide in partnership with host country governments and local organizations. Our program management and technical expertise enable streamlined resource allocation through research, technical assistance, capacity strengthening, collaborative learning, and program evaluations.

Strong health governance is crucial to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS and to reduce stigma and discrimination. Abt’s goal is to help US agencies, host country governments, and international partners control the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Methods 
 

We collaborate with donors and partner organizations around the world, from the private and public sectors, at national and local levels. Our nimble approach enables us to identify and meet local needs, leverage strategic opportunities that increase access to HIV services, and build effective partnerships. Most importantly, our approach helps us design context-specific programs with realistic objectives and sustainable outcomes.

To power this approach, Abt’s public health experts promote cutting-edge strategies. Data and information are crucial to managing national health systems and tracking international efforts to improve health outcomes. We develop and implement innovative evaluations, develop dashboards to visually depict complex information, and strengthen the capacity of client and local counterparts to use that data for decision making.

Relevant Experience 
 

Efficiencies for Clinical HIV/AIDS Outcomes (ECHO) 
Client: United States Agency for International Development (USAID) 

In Mozambique, home to one of the world’s highest HIV mortality rates, ECHO serves nearly 10 million people, 610,000 of whom are estimated to be living with HIV. The project supports government efforts to reach 95-95-95 targets, meaning: 95 percent of people living with HIV know their status, 95 percent of those receive treatment, and 95 percent of those are virally suppressed.

To achieve this goal, Abt’s integrated support teams deliver technical assistance to health facilities and supports deployment of health workers, community workers, and data analysts to sites with poor performance. This work has helped generate impressive increases: 18 percent in the number of people living with HIV on antiretroviral treatment (ART); one-month retention of ART patients from 58 percent to 97 percent and three-month retention from 74 percent to 98 percent; and viral suppression from 78 percent to 92 percent.

Scaling UP Access for Expanded Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision Services (Namibia SAFE) 
Client: United States Agency for International Development (USAID) 

Voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) is an integral component of Namibia’s approach to ending HIV and AIDS, as it cuts male risk of contracting HIV by 60%. Despite significant effort, VMMC coverage remains low. To help the government increase circumcision coverage to 80% among males aged 15 to 29, Namibia SAFE strengthens national policies, quality improvement systems, service demand, and planning and management capacity. The Activity engages private and public sectors and partners with national and regional VMMC teams to promote the uptake of VMMC services and mentors the national VMMC coordination team. Since 2019, Namibia SAFE has provided VMMC services to 270,000 males and increased VMMC coverage to 64 percent.

High Impact Evaluation Projects (HIPEP) 
Client: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 

As a subcontractor to Tanaq Support Services, Abt provides expertise on three task orders. The first examines how health departments across the country funded under the federal Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) initiative are planning to and/or already implementing activities to address systemic challenges/structural barriers in their jurisdictions, including monitoring, evaluation, identifying facilitators, and documenting lessons learned. The second examines structural and programmatic changes implemented by funded health departments in response to EHE initiatives and plans, and public health emergencies, including COVID-19 and mpox. The third evaluates the progress of CDC-funded community-based organizations to implement Anti-Retroviral Treatment and Access to Services (ARTAS) and achieve the outcomes of the intervention, such as linking persons newly diagnosed with HIV to care.

Global Technical Assistance Program (GTAP) 
Client: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Office of Global Health (OGH) 

Abt provides direct support to HRSA OGH, grant recipients, and others under the PEPFAR program. With an equity focus, Abt and partners analyze data and build data dashboards for HRSA staff to ensure vulnerable populations with or at risk of HIV, such as young women, adolescent girls, and incarcerated persons are reached with differentiated care.

Consumer Access and Adherence to Care for HIV (Project CAATCH)  
Client: Massachusetts Department of Public Health  

Through training, technical assistance, and rapid-cycle evaluation, Abt supports this best practice intervention for women and transitioning youth as they engage and remain in HIV primary care. The intervention is based on the delivery of a curriculum of educational sessions and consistent supportive contact and communication to support improved client health outcomes.