Published on 12/04/2022

Response to HIV: Feedback from CARTOLOCS trained by the RECCAP project

Several months after being trained in local mapping and estimating the size of populations vulnerable to HIV, RECCAP project beneficiaries give their testimonies. These frontline actors in the HIV response come from Senegal, Guinea and Côte d'Ivoire. Now equipped to contribute to the evaluation of the effectiveness of HIV care cascade services for key populations, four trainers give feedback. 

 
Moustapha DIENG: HIV Technical Advisor to the National Council for the Fight against HIV (CNLS) - Senegal

"I am an HIV technical advisor at the National Council for the Fight against HIV in Senegal (CNLS) based in the medical region of Tambacounda. I am now a specialist in localized mapping (CARTOLOC). Since I returned to my area, I have been constantly raising awareness among medical authorities about the relevance of conducting local mapping studies and estimating the size of key populations for better management of the target in order to achieve the three 90s in my locality. I have used my skills and expertise at the national level in the framework of a mapping and estimation project of key populations, financed by PEPFAR and implemented by Intrahealth Senegal.

I had to intervene in this project as a resource person in September 2020 to carry out the mapping in the health district of Sédhiou.

  "I am a trainer-referent in mapping and size estimation of key populations. I was trained during the first training session that took place at the Gaston Berger University of Saint-Louis, in September 2019.

Following this capacity building, I participated in the development of the joint CNLS and ANCS concept note for the NFM3. I had to underline the relevance of mapping for both the assessment of key populations and the programmatic focus in a context of difficult access to these often hidden groups. Moreover, Intrahealth, in collaboration with RNP+, has started to carry out mapping activities in the districts covered by this project. I was appointed supervisor and this is thanks to my expertise and skills acquired during the training of high-level trainers under the ReCCAP project.

Jean-Marie MOISE, representative of vulnerable groups to the CCM - Senegal 
Mamadou Gack, Coordinator of the community centre for vulnerable groups and member of the CCM - Guinea Conakry

"I participated in the first international mapping training session where I was trained in local mapping techniques, estimating the size of key populations and assessing specific services of HIV actors.

I am part of the pool of trainer-referents in mapping in Guinea. With my colleagues, we trained 20 local HIV actors in my country, organised by the NGO Fraternité Médicale de Guinée (FMG), ENDA Santé's partner in the ReCCAP project. The pool of referent trainers, of which I am a member, benefited from a project to map and estimate the size of key populations in the Kindia region. I contributed my expertise and experience as a trainer to this study. As part of the practical activities of this country-level training, I discovered new sites of key population use.

With my association, we have expanded our target and carried out STI awareness, screening and treatment activities at the Kindia community centre. It is also on the basis of my expertise that I worked with Plan Guinea on the mapping of sites affected by COVID-19 for a better orientation of prevention and treatment activities.

"The training in local mapping and estimation of the size of key populations, organised within the framework of the ReCCAP project, gave me the necessary tools to better exchange with our partners on the aspects of programmatic mapping and the methods used to estimate the size of key populations. As the person in charge of key populations within the NACP in Côte d'Ivoire until December 2020, I was part of the technical committee for the triangulation of data for the estimation of the size of key populations at national level. In addition, I actively participated with the firms selected for the IBBS and key population size estimation studies on the methods used to ensure the quality of the data produced. I am now one of the resource persons in Côte d'Ivoire on the issues of local mapping and size estimation of key populations.

 
Dr Kouassi Joelle, public health doctor in Côte d'Ivoire
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