AIDSFree: Strengthening High Impact Interventions for an AIDS-free Generation

The AIDSFree (Strengthening High Impact Interventions for an AIDS-free Generation) Project improved the quality and effectiveness of high-impact, evidence-based HIV interventions—such as HIV testing, treatment, prevention of mother-to-child transmission, voluntary medical male circumcision, and condom promotion—to meet local epidemic control objectives in 14 sub-Saharan nations.

In line with the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief Blueprint: Creating an AIDS-free Generation, and building on the momentum of USAID and PEPFAR's investments in ending HIV, AIDSFree fostered effective, well-managed, and sustainable HIV programs across the globe. Through the AIDSFree project, JSI provided capacity development and technical support to USAID missions, host-country governments, and HIV implementers at the local, regional, and national levels.

Getting the right technical and programmatic information to policymakers, program planners, and implementers when they need it is key to achieving an AIDS-free generation. AIDSFree translated research findings to programmatic practices, enhanced further development of technical and organizational capacity to deliver high-impact evidence-based programs, and disseminated technical information through traditional, social, and emerging media for rapid scale up of core evidence-based combination prevention interventions.

To complement these activities, AIDSFree leveraged strong monitoring and evaluation systems to increase data-driven decision-making and to improve the effectiveness of its programs.

RESULTS
During the first three years of the project, AIDSFree focused on capacity development and quality assurance in both its clinical and technical assistance initiatives. In years four and five, the focus shifted to direct clinical service and sustainability for the innovations introduced in partner countries.

Selected achievements over the life of the project included more than 1,830,000 people tested for HIV, almost 50,000 people newly tested HIV positive. The project enrolled 43,000 on antiretroviral therapy, and provided more than 950,000 voluntary male medical circumcision procedures.

To increase country ownership and program sustainability, AIDSFree worked closely with government, civil society, and the private sector to address critical pillars of public health: human resources for health, technical service delivery, development of evidence-based tools, quality improvement, demand creation, data collection, analysis and utilization, service delivery, and leadership and management. AIDSFree worked with each country to build and maintain strong monitoring and evaluation systems that promote a culture of data use which resulted in effective, evidenced-based decision making and program management.

The AIDSFree Project was funded and managed by the United States Agency for International Development Office of HIV/AIDS. The five-year cooperative agreement worked through USAID missions, host-country governments, and HIV implementers at local, regional, and national levels.

In its role as prime contractor for AIDSFree, JSI managed a consortium composed of JSI and seven other partners: Abt Associates Inc., Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, EnCompass LLC, IMA World Health, The International HIV/AIDS Alliance, Jhpiego Corporation, and PATH.