PHAID

The Program on HIV/AIDS Integration Decentralization (PHAID) is a health systems strengthening program funded by the US Government through CDC.

Introduction

Solina Health facilitated the application and implementation of a Centre for Disease Control and prevention (CDC) grant for National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA). The grant was executed through Program for HIV/AIDS Integration and Decentralization (PHAID) to strengthen the Primary Health Care (PHC) system’s capacity to provide HIV/AIDS services through integration with other priority health interventions at the PHC level.

The specific goals include:

Implementation of HIV/AIDS service packages within PHCs
Community Systems Strengthening to improve the ownership and uptake of PHC services
Development of PHC staffing and retention strategies and policies
Development and support of a PHC implementation science agenda for Nigeria
Support for institutional capacity of NPHCDA on program management.
The project is presently in its third programmatic year.

Intervention

As a technical partner on the project, we designed and developed the assessment tool for “PHC Integrated Service Delivery Capabilities”. We also trained the assessment team (NPHCDA, LGA M&E, IHVN staff) on the assessment tool
We conducted a baseline assessment of 249 Primary Health Centers (PHC) across selected six high prevalence states (Abia, Bayelsa, Benue, Kaduna, Lagos and Nasarawa) to determine capacity building needs for optimal delivery of HIV/AIDS services. We also conducted capacity building for the different cadres of staff at PHCs and LGAs in eight states for the provision of good quality integrated HIV/AIDS services.
Solina Health conducted a research study on the factors that affect retention of health care workers at the PHC level to provide evidence based initiatives and recommendations which would inform beneficial human resource policies in the country.

Impact

We facilitated an implementation strategy workshop of relevant stakeholders including the CDC to disseminate the findings from the needs assessment of these PHCs and also provide recommendations on how to further improve Primary Health Care (PHC) service delivery in Nigeria.
A total of 1322 health workers which include Midwives, Nurses, CHEWS, Medical lab scientists/ technologists/ technicians, microbiologists. M&E officers and HODs of Health at the LGAs trained on the integrated service delivery package demonstrate adequate knowledge of HIV/AIDS and other basic health services at the PHCs as reflected in positive feed backs from supportive supervision, monitoring and evaluation activities carried out at these facilities.

Cross section of stakeholders at the workshop
Cross section of stakeholders at the workshop
During an interview session with some staff at the PHCs for the research study on the “Retention of PHC workers”