Program Coordinator: Leyla Imanova

The strategy has been worked out based on the Strategy 2006, discussed by the Public Health Expert Committee, reworked after OSI PHP staff review and reflects staff's comments

Introduction

The Public Health Program will continue the directions already involved in 2006. The main goals of the program which are support and development of the public health policy based on the recognition of human rights and social justice will be functioning on the following directions:

• To ensure participation and interests of the victim groups in the public health
• To ensure the control of the civil society on the government budget and transparency with in-volvement of the groups with HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and disabilities

The analysis of the program activity states that the NGOs established and involved in the program have attained certain development experience, expanded activity on coalition and virtual networking, got potential to influence the attitude of society, different individuals, governmental and non-governmental structures which can influence policy. Certain knowledge and skills are required for this potential in order to change the policy fundamentally and competently. It has been stressed a lot by NGOs themselves. It is time for these organizations not only to be involved in piloting projects which provide certain service and analyzing the legislation but also to be engaged in control of budget, particularly transparent and effective usage of health budget. It is assessed as a strong in-strument from the angle of influencing the policy and its realization is more flexible and effective. There are several obstacles listed below and reasons why they should be overcame during the next year:

• Though the NGOs are implementing some works in this direction it should be confessed that the analysis are sparse, the methodology is restricted, there is lack of experience, less knowledge and skills, lack of access to database and usage skills. There is also the lack of knowledge to convert the results of analysis to influential factor, lack of skills to influence policy and use them in advocacy of interests.
• Azerbaijan has few lawyers involved in health area. It hinders to implement expertise of legisla-tion within the projects and most of all formulation of recommendations appropriate to the European standards. The NGOs working with victim groups do not have experience in legal protection specifi-cally.
• The fact that there are few journalists in the field of health, and who write in this field do not have enough knowledge, unawareness of the problems and modern approaches lead to reckless search of information, misusage of this information and hinder development of public health.
• Though journalists are of great importance in formulating ideas in society, they lack information on the victim groups and the programs which proved to be effective. It should be taken into account that the Public Health Program has used the force of lawyers and journalists in all directions. But formulation of these forces expediently as a priority of the program came out within the Global Fund project in connection with the role of Means of Mass Media in preventive arrangements against HIV/AIDS and drug-addiction, and analysis of legislation related to HIV/AIDS, drug-addiction, pal-liative care and health in penitentiaries.
• Lack of access to information on spending oil profits and donor means in Azerbaijan by the broad public and specialists. From this point of view the money allocated by the Global Fund is con-nected with ensuring the rights of HIV/AIDS and other victims. The public is not involved in discus-sion of planning and dispensation of the budget and cannot used as means of influence.
• Reforms which Ministry of Health tries to conduct lead to the change of the personnel by the Ministry of Health and building of the new centers. From this point of view the World Bank and USAID within the reforms agreed with the Ministry of Health specifies allocation of a big amount of money to the Health School and much attention is paid to preparation of personnel, the OSI-AF sees reforms in access of information by public, its involvement in discussions, strengthening its role in decision-making and other directions.
• Special attention will be paid to ensuring knowledge and skills on access to information, budget and informing on usage ways and development directions of the results.

Taking into account the above mentioned PHP makes the following amendments for strengthening the existing Strategy for 2007:

Harm Reduction Program

• Supporting activities not specified in the Global Fund project but important for the development of the project
• Public awareness on correct information on HIV/AIDS, PLWHA and drug users
• Ensuring the rights of PLWHA and drug users to health and medical service, labor rights
• Support to programs and political reforms directed to removing social consequences and reduc-tion of other damage to people related to spread of HIV infection by drug usage
• Provide usage of Harm Reduction projects - NEPs and MST for all who need it
• Ensuring the access of drug users and HIV+ persons to antiretroviral therapy
• Reforming the public policy based on discrimination and stigmatization
• Support logistics for technical assistance for GF project
• Support trainings for staff of all narcotics dispensaries that have been already equipped for start of Substitution Therapy, provide staff and users with all necessary materials and involve them into advocacy activity.
• Creation and support of HIV+ persons, AIDS patients, drug users’ organizations. Involving them in preparation of strategy papers, budget discussions, support of infrastructure, development of strat-egy planning; networking of mentioned organizations

Mental Health Initiatives Program

• Psychological rehabilitation and awareness on parents rights
• Advocacy on the right to education for people with mental disabilities
• Continued support to existing rehabilitation centers
• Evaluation of children attending the Centers to determine who should be included in step-by-step classrooms
• Provide centers with professional materials learning and teaching materials depending on evalua-tion of each centre
• Support the development of a resource center for sharing practice, education materials and activi-ties
• Support the development of training materials after an evaluation is made to determine what ma-terials are needed by the centers
• Public awareness through campaigning and community education
• Support initiatives of parents association with developing a working plan, establishment of asso-ciation and trainings in the case if parents are strong in intentions and plans. Support networking of coalition members and other related to mental health initiatives program organization
• Support the development of a coalition of NGOs. Determine the needs of the Azerbaijan coali-tion. Trainings on aspects of service delivery, advocacy, campaigning with further visit to Ukraine
• Trainings for NGOs on advocacy and fundraising
• Trainings for NGOs on budget monitoring Government Health and Social protection budget and expenses monitored by trained NGOs.
• Trainings for lawyers from NGOs on How to integrate legal advocacy into NGOs activity which will help to build the capacity of NGOs, how develop recommendations to legislation to settle legal acts on disabled to European standards
• Provide appropriate Support to deinstitutionalization
• Shooting a film for educating population- attention will be paid to the right to education
• Training on advocacy and getting financial support
• Participation of NGOs in trainings on being involved the budget control programs and projects
• Training for lawyers aimed at improving skills of NGOs and making legal protection indivisible part of NGOs
• Cooperation of Schools with Centers for ensuring the sequence of rehabilitation work and pro-viding them with psychologists
• Support to the development of inclusive education
• Educating families and peers
• Including financing of centers in state budget prognosis
• Engagement of children with disabilities in the field of culture at professional level and working out the strategy that cultural institutions would be accessible to them

  Health Budget Monitoring

  • Attaining information on health budget, legislation, projects and programs
  • Strengthening of public monitoring on execution of laws and budget concerning health - support of National Budget Group
  • Conduct regular public discussions on "Health and Low", "Health and Public Participation in Budget Formulating", "Health and Budget Monitoring/donor investments/state programs": public debates on TV channel

  Health and Media

  • Support journalists and media NGOs with fellowship to increase capacity for monitoring of health budget and programs and preparation of reports on health with further promotion of results and community mobilization
  • Support projects aimed to public awareness on health problems especially on problems of marginalized groups and decreasing of stigma
  • Media strategy development for the budget monitoring project
  • Media strategy development for NGOs and government structures working on HIV/AIDS

  Sexual Health Rights Protection Program will be coordinated by the activity supported within the Global Fund

  • Protection of sexual health and rights of HIV/AIDS victim groups. These groups have been cov-ered by the Global Fund Project in Azerbaijan
  • But there is one more group that its protection requirement has not been fulfilled yet- refugees and internally displaced people, women whose husbands work in Russia and Ukraine- these are high risk groups from the angle of sexual experience and violation rights.
  • Program will also support innovative experience for better fulfillment of needs

  International Palliative Care Initiatives Program will be coordinated with the activity sup-ported within the Global Fund

  • Including palliative care in national health programs
  • Training on PC for stakeholders, decision makers and NGOs staff
  • Transferring of PC programs to state financing (2008)
  • Support to networking of projects working on HR, PC, PLWHA, CSW
  • Other technical support – experts visit etc.

  Global Fund Program "Scaling up the response to HIV/AIDS in Azerbaijan".
  OSI Azerbaijan will coordinate activity on Global Fund project with all network Public Health Pro-grams related to project. OSI will continue support of next activities within the GF project:

  • Rapid Assessment of Situation (2008) related to HIV/AIDS risk among vulnerable population: IDUs, CSW, Prisoners, MSM
  • Support of networking of NGOs working with marginalized population (PLWHA, IDUs, CSW, prisoners)
  • support to institutionalization of organizations of HIV+ persons and IDUs
  • develop a strategy to promote ST
  • Call for new NGOs
  • Prisons – trainings for staff and peer education, HIV prevention programs
  • Continuation of Behavior Change Campaign (support new forms and ideas)
  • Palliative Care for PLWHA: promote results of policy assessment on PC, continuation of station-ary and mobile service, trainings for staff
  • Continuation of support of current projects working with marginalized population
  • Practical and theoretical trainings, practice sharing, workshops and information sessions for NGOs working with IDUs, CSWs and in prisons, AIDS center staff and Mass Media representatives on Global Fund, Harm Reduction and other components (Baku and regions)
  • Support resource centers for NGOs working with PLWHA and IDUs
  • Further development of printing materials and publishing
  • Trainings on awareness on legislation for NGOs