Background
The Voluntary Health Services (VHS), Chennai managed the South-To-South HIV/AIDS Resource Exchange (SHARE) project through a Cooperative Agreement (CoAg) with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). This SHARE project has evolved based on the demonstrated models of APAC-VHS project. This SHARE project is the first South-To-South program by Bi-directional exchange on HIV/AIDS between India & Africa. SHARE-VHS project collaborated with MoHFW, NACO, TANSACS, MSACS, MDACS, PSACS, DACS, State Health Department, FICCI, IIM-A, NGOs/CBOs, etc.
The goal of this project was to promote knowledge transfer of high-impact policies, practices and innovations in HIV/AIDS programs between India and Sub-Saharan Africa for improved health outcomes.
This South-To-South (S2S) project provided technical assistance by facilitating knowledge transfer to 12 Sub-Saharan African countries, namely, Ghana, Tanzania, Zambia, Uganda, Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Togo and Benin. The key stakeholders who benefitted through this knowledge transfer will include: government, industry and civil society organizations.
SHARE project facilitated sharing of India’s good practices and management principles and promoted partnerships with selected Sub-Saharan African countries in the areas of Country Ownership and Stewardship (CO&S); Prevention, Care and Treatment (PCT); and Program Support Systems (PSS). SHARE project was one of the first to promote South-to-South knowledge exchange of HIV program experiences, good practices and lessons learned.
Strategies
- Promotion of bi-directional knowledge transfer of high impact policies, practices, and innovations in HIV/AIDS programs between Sub-Saharan African countries (Focus areas: Country Ownership and Stewardship (CO&S)); Prevention, Care and Treatment (PCT); and Program Support Systems (PSS).
- Technical approaches includes: Guided Exposure Visits (GEVs), thematic workshops, virtual support, in-country technical experts, short-term fellowships, joint meets and health conclaves.
- Established Project Advisory Committee (PAC) for availing strategic guidance from the experts for strengthening knowledge transfer initiatives. Also formed Technical Resource Groups (TRGs) with 50 empanelled thematic experts / mentors for developing resource materials, best practices, tools, and contribute to knowledge exchange.
- SHARE established guidelines and toolkits for Situation Need Assessment (SNA), Unit Cost Guidelines, establishing Knowledge Exchange Sites (KES-detailed criteria), Learning Package for Guided Exposure Visit and Fellowship Training Manual for strengthening India’s lessons learnt and successfully showcasing it to partnering countries.
- SHARE developed Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for activities such as INDIA-AFRICA Meet and GEVs to ensure quality and consistency in implementation of these initiatives by various partnering countries.
- Pioneered conceptualization, designing and implementation of the Key Population Fellowship Programs (KPFP) for senior and mid-level program managers for three weeks.
- The project established an online repository of best practices, country wise resource bank, lessons learnt, training manuals for self-reference by partnering countries and also provide continuous learning from various HIV prevention interventions in India.
- SHARE was successful in setting up 39 thematic Knowledge Exchange Sites in 4 states (Punjab, Maharashtra, Delhi and Tamil Nadu). Project has built capacity of these NGO for effective knowledge sharing of their best practices with continuous mentoring which improved the execution of various S2S initiatives with partnering countries. The KES established in four States helped in demonstrating and disseminating India experiences with delegation from Sub-Saharan African countries during the facilitation of GEVs within the State and between different States within the country.
- Established Knowledge Management Unit (KMU) at NACO and facilitated Guided Exposure Visits on HIV/AIDS Prevention and Public Private Partnership (PPP).
- Partnered with Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) in India and Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad (IIM-A: the premier management institute in India) and contributed in publishing the studies / reports on:
- Private Sector & Policy Framework in 5 countries (Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia).
- Good Practices and innovations in Private Sector for HIV and health programs in India.
- Market assessment and shaping for HIV/AIDS products and commodities.
- Capacity assessment of Indian knowledge partners to introduce best practices / innovation in African countries.
- Rapid Assessment of Country Ownership of three Countries in Africa - Analysis of 15 countries on Country Ownership.
- Policy Recommendations in 3 countries (South Africa, Nigeria & Tanzania).
- Market Opportunity in 3 countries (Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania).
- Partnerships Beyond Borders – Catalyzing Solutions for HIV in Africa – An Executive Summary of Market Feasibility Report & Policy.
- Entry Marketing approaches in priority & non-priority countries in Africa for facilitating Knowledge Transfer between India and Africa.
- Provided TA for adoption and replication of best practices in partnering countries.
- The project captured 23 best practices in various thematic areas of MARP and Mobile Population by involving Best Practice Foundation, Bangalore to successfully influence HIV prevention practices and programs in partnering countries by showcasing the approaches and learning from scaled HIV prevention interventions in India.
- NACO supported SHARE to identify and empanel a network of thematic experts who provided continuous mentoring and sharing of experiences with partnering countries.
Key Achievements
Key Publications
Contact Us
Director - Projects
CHARTERED - Projects Division
The Voluntary Health Services (VHS)
Rajiv Gandhi Salai, TTTI Post,
Taramani, Chennai – 600 113.
Email ID: williams@vhsprojects.org
For additional information on VHS Projects Division - CHARTERED, its objectives, partnerships, key activities, projects managed, overall achievements, key publications, and publications for downloading, please visit or click Here
