Networking and Collaboration: Outreach and Home Visits
The Lhak-Sam networking program has proven highly effective in mobilizing resources, nurturing new partnerships, and fortifying relationships with existing stakeholders and donors. Through these endeavors, we have managed to cement our collective response towards a shared cause and achieve significant strides in our HIV response.
A noteworthy achievement of this program has been the successful consolidation of People Living with HIV (PLHIV) and their children. This accomplishment owes itself to adept networking and meaningful engagement with PLHIV communities. Our consultations and transparent communications with pertinent stakeholders, partners, donors, and key affected populations have played a crucial role in fostering a common ground for meaningful interaction and collaboration. By harnessing each other’s strengths and resources, we facilitate the enhancement of the community system, contributing to a more resilient and sustainable health system aligned with universal health coverage (UHC) principles.
Of particular significance, our networking endeavors have yielded remarkable outcomes in reaching out to recently diagnosed cases, individuals who have defaulted or denied treatment services, and those who have fallen out of follow-up. Our peer-outreach workers play a pivotal role in executing outreach activities and conducting home visits, allowing us to garner valuable insights into the challenges encountered by PLHIV and their children. These insights form the basis for the development and provision of timely and appropriate information, treatment, care, support, and referral services. Through peer counseling, moral bolstering, and emotional aid, we are effectively mitigating fear, self-stigma, and self-isolation, leading to improved attitudes and behaviors among individuals seeking services and adhering to treatment. As a direct outcome of our comprehensive approach, an impressive 99% of the 255 registered HIV-positive members have achieved undetectable levels of the virus in their blood, significantly enhancing their health-related quality of life and psychological well-being, while concurrently preventing HIV transmission.
Our reputation as a dependable and trustworthy partner is underscored by our diligence, transparency, and accountability in networking with pertinent stakeholders, partners, and donors, both within and beyond our country’s borders. This reputation has facilitated our timely receipt of assistance and support, enabling us to sustain the progress achieved thus far.
However, despite these excellent strides, we continue to grapple with challenges, particularly those stemming from the dearth of financial and technical aid. In our determination to surmount these obstacles, we remain resolute in our pursuit of innovative funding opportunities and the strengthening of partnerships, ensuring the continuity of our impactful efforts in the battle against HIV/AIDS.