Positive Prevention in Mozambique

Facilitated by The Twinning Center, the UCSF School of Nursing has partnered with the Ministry of Health in Mozambique in order to adapt, pilot, and implement an US evidence-based Positive Prevention (PP) intervention within rural Mozambique. The purpose of this project is to develop a PP intervention that will effectively address the needs of people living with HIV (PLHIV) in Mozambique through advancing understanding among healthcare providers, counseling and testing staff, and peer educators. Beginning in 2006, this intervention is taking place in two sites in Maputo Province in Mozambique. The first site focuses on building healthcare provider skills around effective risk assessment and prevention messages for their HIV-infected patients. The second site focuses on implementing similar needs assessment and prevention messages within one community–based Voluntary counseling and testing center and an accompanying peer support group. Collaboration among US and Mozambican partners (including healthcare providers, counseling and testing counselors, and PLHIV peer counselors) has guided the development of this PP intervention. The intervention currently includes case studies developed by Mozambican partners and a peer-led support group with enhanced one-to-one risk reduction counseling by counselors and PLHIV peers. Case studies are used in each setting to illustrate concepts such as assessment of transmission risk, behavioral risk reduction approaches, encouragement of partner testing and disclosure, prevention of mother-to-child transmission, and family planning.