Source: plataformalac.org
By: César A. Coria, Liz Aldana and Juan Carlos RodrÃguez
The Global Fund in collaboration with the Communities Engagement LAC Platform and the consortium members of the Caribbean Multi-Country Grant collaborated to convene this forum which provided a space for dialogue, learning, planning and coordination among Caribbean regional stakeholders involved in Global Fund processes.
The forum was held from September 13 to 15, 2022, in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. About 80 partners and stakeholders involved in the Multi-Country Project on HIV in the Caribbean participated in this meeting. The multi-country grant is led by the consortium of Sub-Recipients consisting of the PAN Caribbean Partnershipagainst HIV and AIDS (PANCAP), the Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition (CVC) and the Centro de Orientacion e Investigación Integral (COIN).
The purpose of organizing a single forum with a common agenda was to maximize learning, coordination and synergies across the national and regional multi-country contexts and the Technical Assistance priorities. Further, this was an opportunity for a more responsible use of the economic resources and added value for the participants.
During the opening ceremony, the participants were welcomed by: Dr. Shellon Bovell, Project Coordinator, Global Fund (GF), CARICOM Secretariat; Paul Bonilla, Fund Portfolio Manager, The Global Fund; Anuar Ismael Luna Cadena, Technical Coordinator, LAC Platform; Dr Richard Amenyah, Director, UNAIDS MultiCountry Office; Simone Jackson, PEPFAR Coordinator, Caribbean Regional Program; Diana Weekes, Board Member, Caribbean Regional Network of People; Living with HIV/AIDS (CRN+); Alison Drayton, Assistant Secretary General, Human and Social Development, CARICOM Secretariat and Ian Ramdahin, Permanent Secretary, National AIDS Coordinating Committee Secretariat (NACC), Ministry of Health, Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
The work sessions of the first day focused on recovering the context that the Caribbean region is experiencing in the response to HIV, as well as the progress and achievements of the first phase of the Multi-Country Regional Grant. In a number of sessions led by Mr Ivan Cruickshank, Executive Director, Caribbean Vulnerable Communities (CVC):
Dr Richard Amenyah shared the progress made in HIV care and prevention in the Caribbean and highlighted the importance of reducing stigma and discrimination and improving care for children.
Dr Shellon Bovell and Mr Colin Kirton, Officer in-Charge, PANCAP Coordinating Unit (PCU) shared the progress and achievements of the multi-country grant in its first phase of implementation.
Mélissa Jaar Guérin, Project Manager, Center Orientation and Comprehensive Research (COIN), who shared about the obstacles and achievements of the grant in Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Haiti, all with challenging environments; and Sannia Laing Sutherland, Project; Coordinator, Caribbean Vulnerable Communities, Coalition (CVC) mentioned the progress in Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Jamaica, Guyana, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago.
One of the key components of the multi-country grant in the region was the implementation of the Mini-Grants. Therefore, in the afternoon session of the first day, Ivan Cruickshank, Executive Director, Caribbean Vulnerable Communities (CVC) and Vanessa Rosario Brito, Program Manager, Center for Orientation and Comprehensive Research (COIN); They highlighted the achievements, advances and difficulties faced to carry it forward.
To conclude, Sebastián Osorio, Manager Instiglio presented in a general way the ABC Model Approach to Mini-Grants Technical Assistance, which seeks to improve the way in which the Mini-grants will be implemented in the next phase of the multi-country grant.
The second day began with the presentation of the results of the external evaluation of the first phase of the multi-country grant, by Luis Bernel, ETE Lead Evaluator, who highlighted the findings and recommendations that must be taken into account for the implementation of the second grant stage.
In this framework, Dr Shellon Bovell presented what the second phase of the multi-country grant in the Caribbean will consist of, which will begin its implementation on October 1, 2022 and will continue to benefit 10 countries in the region. The second phase seeks to expand the achievements and results in prevention and care of key populations, as well as the allocation of more mini-grants focused on aspects of political advocacy, sustainability of key populations, reduction of stigma and discrimination, among the main.
Next, Joan Didier, Director, OECS RCM, presented the new grant that will benefit the Eastern Caribbean countries. This grant will benefit another 11 countries that, in addition to including HIV care and prevention actions, includes TB prevention and care, strengthening of laboratory systems and has a strong component to reduce barriers in human rights, gender, stigma and discrimination, which limit the progress of the response to these two diseases.
The morning of the second day closed with the participation of Rene Bangert, The Global Fund / Community Engagement Strategic Initiative (CE SI), who presented the main points of the Global Fund New Strategy 2023-2029 and the importance of community participation in its implementation.
The afternoon of the second day was made up of different working groups: To analyze the major challenges for the Caribbean in responding to HIV,TB and malaria and identify opportunities for donor support in the areas of: Prevention, Care and Treatment, Human Rights including GBV and S&D; and Strategic Information.
The morning of the last day was focused on identifying the support that communities can receive in terms of Technical Assistance and accompaniment, through the LAC Platform and the Strategic Initiative for Community Participation of the Global Fund (CE SI). The session was led by Rene Bangert, The Global Fund / Community Engagement Strategic Initiative (CE SI), Anuar Ismael Luna Cadena, Technical Coordinator, LAC Platform and Liz Aldana, Focal point in the Caribbean for Technical Assistant of LAC Platform.
Rene Bangert shared the main guidelines that the Strategic Initiative for Community Participation can provide in the Short-Term Technical Assistance to improve the participation of communities in grant applications for the 2023-2025 funding cycle and Anuar Luna presented the Tool for submitting applications to the Community Engagement Strategic Initiative Short-Term Technical Assistance Program targeted to the new Global Fund (NMF4) funding model and the pilot experience in Guatemala of the use of the Safety and Security Tool. To close the session, Liz Aldana facilitated a process with focus groups to identify how to improve community participation in: Country Coordination Mechanisms (CCMs), Community Led Monitoring and Evaluation (CLM), the Community engagement to the preparation of Global Fund funding requests and in the National and Multinational HIV Programs.
The forum concluded on the third day in the afternoon with farewell words from the event organizers and the participation of Paul Bonilla, Fund Portfolio Manager, The Global Fund; who highlighted the challenges for the next phase of multicountry grant implementation and Dr Richard Amenyah, Director, UNAIDS MultiCountry Office; who thanked for the invitation to the forum and highlighted the importance of cooperation and joint work between the different actors in the response to HIV in the Caribbean.
Below, watch the video testimonials on the obstacles and progress of the multi-country grant and the response to HIV in the Caribbean.