Project description

Title: Regional Coordination Unit for HIV and Tuberculosis (ReCHT)
Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Country: Ghana
Lead executing agency: Ministry of Health, Ghana Aids Commission, Ghana Revenue Authority
Overall term: 2006 to at least 2014 (projects financed by different donors have different terms)

Context

The HIV epidemic is considered one of the most pressing development problems worldwide. Overcoming the epidemic of HIV and tuberculosis (TB) is a national priority in Ghana, which calls for commitment from all stakeholders. Since 2000, the Ghana AIDS Commission has been coordinating the efforts made in response.
Since 2006 GIZ has been supporting workplace programmes that are intended to help curb the spread of HIV, tuberculosis and other diseases. It is doing so on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Such programmes are an effective way of sensitising large sections of the population about HIV and other health risks. They encourage behavioural change and enable people infected with HIV to receive medical treatment, while protecting them from discrimination. Following the success of this approach and in response to the growing workload, in 2008, GIZ formed the Regional Coordination Unit for HIV and Tuberculosis (ReCHT). Besides HIV and other communicable diseases, such as tuberculosis, malaria and hepatitis, workplace programmes will also be used to reduce the incidence of non-infections diseases like diabetes, cancer and high blood pressure.

Objective

The incidence of HIV and other communicable diseases such as tuberculosis, malaria and hepatitis, as well as non infectious diseases like diabetes, cancer and high blood pressure, has been reduced.

Approach

GIZ views the fight against HIV and related opportunistic diseases as an institutional priority. National partners for this project include the Ghanaian Ministry of Health, the Ghana Aids Commission and the Ghana Revenue Authority.
The following approaches are being used to reduce the spread of the diseases:

• Prevention measures
• Medical support
• Creation of a working environment free of discrimination

The workplace programmes that are supported by ReCHT carry out sensitisation campaigns. They also offer voluntary counselling and testing for employees and their family members, and for other people associated with the workplace. Besides HIV, tests are available for other diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure.
ReCHT supports interventions in three areas.

• HIV mainstreaming for bilateral and regional GIZ programmes
  Together with their respective Ghanaian partners, and supported by ReCHT, all the projects have developed HIV/TB workplace programmes. At the same time, HIV mainstreaming also covers the employees of GIZ and KfW Entwicklungsbank. The following organisations and groups are included:
  • Ghana Revenue Authority
  • Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre
  • Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development
  • Ministry of Food and Agriculture
    
    
• Interventions for high-risk groups
  Ghana has a low prevalence of HIV. Nevertheless, higher infection rates are seen among some high-risk population groups, including sex workers and their partners, as well as homosexuals and injecting drug users. ReCHT contributes to two interventions:
  • HIV-related activities for the hotel and catering industry, with funding from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
  • Technical support for the Ghana AIDS Commission in their interventions for high-risk groups.
    
    
• National and regional development partnerships with the private sector for health, social protection, financial management and knowledge management
  Through the development partnerships, workplace programmes are being implemented with companies and institutions in both the private and public sectors.
  • Accra Brewery Ltd.
  • Archer Daniel Midlands Cocoa (Ghana) Ltd.
  • Ghana Community Network Services Ltd.
  • Ghana Revenue Authorityo 
  • Golden Star Resources Ltd.
  • iMPACT (Mars Partnership for African Cocoa Communities of Tomorrow)
  • Japan Motors Ltd.
  • Newmont Ghana Gold Ltd.
  • Superlock Technologies Ltd.
  • UT Bank Ltd.

The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) has started a new project to extend the scope of the workplace programmes to include pandemic prevention. GIZ is helping the National Disaster Management Organization to integrate the efforts of the private sector into the national preparedness and response plans. In this way it is raising awareness of the H1N1 flu virus and other pandemics.

Results achieved so far

Information events have so far reached 6,600 people, of whom 5,690 went on to take an HIV test. The use of workplace programmes has been introduced and accepted by the partner organisations of German development cooperation.
Since the Regional Coordination Unit was set up, more than 1,200 people have received training as HIV-prevention instructors. 24,000 people have volunteered for HIV tests. 380 individuals who tested positive are now receiving medical treatment. Thus, the number of employees who have taken part in sensitisation events and HIV testing is considerably higher than the national average.
The workplace programmes have led to a measurable increase in the level of understanding among employees, and has encouraged changes in behaviour. For instance, an empirical study of the partnership with the water providers showed that the number of employees who had taken an HIV test for the first time had tripled after the first 18 months of the programme.
Further results from this survey include (mid-term results measured against the baseline statistics):

• More staff now use protection when having sex with non-regular partners (31 % compared to 22 %).
• More staff now know where they can go for HIV treatment if they need it (80% compared to 64%).
• The number of HIV tests taken has risen (53 % compared to 14 %).
• There is markedly higher awareness among employees of their rights related to HIV.