Corridors of Hope II

Zambia Corridors of Hope HIV/AIDS Prevention Initiative (COH II)

The Zambian Corridors of Hope HIV/AIDS Prevention Initiative (COH II) aims to reduce the transmission of HIV in seven of the country's high-prevalence border and transportation corridor communities.

This three-year project engages local leaders; nongovernmental, community-, and faith-based organizations; and district health management teams and AIDS task forces to catalyze the response within their communities. These stakeholders also play a central role in the design, implementation, and evaluation of the project.

Funded by USAID through the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), COHII targets those most vulnerable to HIV, "bridge populations," and the neighboring communities. The three main objectives are to:

1. Increase availability of comprehensive HIV/AIDS prevention services and behavior and social change interventions.
2. Link with referral networks for care and treatment, and with education and economic improvement activities, such as the Finance and Improved Technology project (PROFIT); Development Alternatives Inc.'s Market, Access, Trade, and Enabling Policies project (MATEP); and the American Institutes for Research's Community Health and Nutrition, Gender and Education Support-2 project (CHANGES2).
3. Engage and mobilize corridor communities, their leaders, and local organizations in addressing HIV/AIDS transmission and prevention and social change issues through locally identified solutions.

COH II began in September 2006 and ends in September 2009. It is implemented by RTI International in partnership with Family Health International.

Related links:

COH II Strategic Behavior Change Tools (2009)

COH II STI Syndromic Management Flowchart (2008)

COH II Outreach Program for Women on Zimbabwean Border

Program Helps Communities in Transport Corridor