Côte d’Ivoire

Approximately 480,000 Ivoirians are living with HIV, and adult HIV prevalence (among those aged 15-49) is 3.9%, among the highest rates in West Africa (UNAIDS 2008 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic and Côte d'Ivoire Fiscal Year 2008 Country PEPFAR Operational Plan [COP]). Although many HIV-positive men and women are sexually active and in need of comprehensive, safe, and quality HIV and FP services, growing evidence suggests that they lack adequate access. In Côte d'Ivoire, therefore, an urgent need exists for quality, voluntary HIV testing and family planning services to support people living with HIV and to reduce HIV incidence. Even when quality services are in place, however, gender norms often inhibit men from seeking services.  Men are often encouraged to have multiple partners and discouraged from condom use and health-seeking, increasing their risk and that of their partners for HIV infection. Addressing gender norms in the context of increasing access to HIV testing and FP services for HIV-positive individuals and their partners is therefore essential.

RESPOND/Côte d'Ivoire has received funding since 2008 to improve the health of families by preventing HIV transmission and unwanted pregnancies by:
1) increasing the supply of male-friendly and integrated SRH and HIV information and services;
2) improving men's attitudes toward utilizing integrated SRH and HIV information and services; and,
3) fomenting an enabling environment in which policy and support for HIV/SRH integration and male-friendly services are available. 

Positive male norms are promoted through EngenderHealth's Men As Partners® (MAP) approach. RESPOND works collaboratively with local partners, including the Ministère de l'Éducation Nationale (MEN), ACONDA-VS, and the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF) to design, implement, and evaluate FP-HIV integrated services at health facilities; to implement trainings on FP-HIV integration and stigma reduction; and to develop communication materials to engage men in HIV prevention. Implementation of RESPOND/Côte d'Ivoire activities during 2010-2011 was formally suspended due to political unrest; many activities originally planned for 2010-2011 are planned for the next year.