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Country Profiles |
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Programs |
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UNFPA Awards for FHI/Egypt Address Quality Prevention and Treatment and Adolescent Reproductive Health Services DECEMBER 2007 — Two four-month projects awarded to FHI by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) will enhance HIV/AIDS prevention services and the detection and treatment of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in Egypt by providing anonymous, high-quality voluntary HIV/AIDS counseling and testing (VCT), and address the shortage of reproductive health services for adolescents in Egypt.
Religious Leaders Play Vital Role in the Response to HIV/AIDS in the Middle East AUGUST 2007 — In the Middle East, religious leaders are helping to change community perceptions and are playing a vital role in the successful response to IV and AIDS. Their efforts are bolstered by information kits devised for them, one tailored to Muslims and the other to Christians, and by workshops and meetings that build capacity and remove misconceptions about the disease.
Egypt's AIDS Program Serves as Model to Middle East OCTOBER 2006 — USAID is funding a regional effort to disseminate lessons learned from Egypt's HIV/AIDS program experiences. FHI/Egypt is hosting a series of regional workshops to identify best practices and adapt them for other countries. The workshops establish valuable connections between HIV/AIDS programs in neighboring countries and allow experts to share ideas.
FHI Supports HIV/AIDS Prevention Programs, Outreach OCTOBER 2006 — USAID is working with Egypt's National AIDS Program and FHI to build the capacity of Freedom Program, a nongovernmental organization and Egypt's first outreach center for injection drug users. Freedom outreach staff target users and offer street-based and drop-in counseling. They also provide risk reduction, peer education and, in some cases, medical and nutritional support.
Case Study in Success: Building a Regional Model for HIV/AIDS Prevention and Treatment
FHI Supports Freedom Center Outreach Program for IDUs FHI/Egypt has been working with the Freedom Program, an NGO, to support Egypt's first outreach center for injection drug users (IDUs). FHI/Egypt has helped train and educate Freedom outreach workers and peer educators. Former drug users serve as outreach staff, establishing strong links within the IDU community. IDUs also visit Freedom's outreach center, receiving counseling, peer education, and in some cases medical and nutritional support. Freedom Center Supports Women Increasingly, women seek support from the Freedom Outreach Center. So the Freedom Program is training female outreach workers to help other female IDUs. Freedom also provides refresher training for outreach workers, peer educators and social workers. Recently, Freedom held a workshop entitled Motivational Interviewing, which taught staff how to approach IDUs and convince them to change their behaviors to reduce the risk of HIV infection and other blood-borne viruses. Freedom Overcomes Fear, Police, Risk of Relapse Freedom Program has confronted various obstacles in its outreach program, especially fear and lack of trust among IDUs. Because their activities are illegal, many IDUs distrust outreach workers and fear police retaliation. The local authorities can also hinder outreach services. Many times, outreach workers have been mistakenly arrested by the police, but later released with the help of Ministry of Health and Population officials. Another obstacle is the pressure experienced by outreach workers to stay drug-free. Many of the outreach workers are themselves former drug users. They can experience the stress and fear of falling back into drug use because they are in regular contact with IDUs. Freedom Program has addressed this issue by increasing the number of outreach workers on the Freedom team and reducing the number of outreach trips conducted by each outreach worker.
FHI/Egypt Improves Blood Safety Programs The FHI/IMPACT Project has been working in Egypt to improve blood safety and strengthen HIV/AIDS prevention and care activities. The IMPACT Project provides technical assistance to the Ministry of Health and Population and builds the capacity of the National Blood Transfusion Services, the General Directorate of Blood Affairs and the National AIDS Program. IMPACT also works to build the capacity of local NGOs and faith-based organizations, including the Freedom Outreach Center, Caritas, and the Center for Development Services. |
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JUNE 2006 — FHI/Egypt has concluded a study of risk behavior, behavior trends and effective HIV outreach strategies. Following the study, USAID and FHI developed partnerships with local organizations to reach those most in need of HIV/AIDS services and established a network of counseling and testing centers that ensure anonymity. To build on the program's success, it is being replicated on both a national and regional level.