SUNRISE
In September 2004, the Alliance was awarded the USAID funded project ‘Scaling up the National Response to HIV/AIDS through Information and Services’ (SUNRISE). In partnership with PATH (Program for Appropriate Technology in Health) and the All-Ukrainian Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS, this five-year project aims to ensure that vital, high quality information and services are accessible to people at high risk of contracting HIV in the most severely affected regions of the country.
The four key objectives are:
- to reach at least 60% of high-risk populations in strategically selected sites with effective, high quality information and services for preventing HIV transmission through injection and sexual activity;
- to increase the accessibility of high quality care and support, information and services for people living with HIV and other populations affected by the epidemic;
- to strengthen the link between prevention and care, with a particular focus on improving the quality and reach of voluntary counselling and HIV testing (VCT);
- to strengthen the ability of local organisations and communities collaboratively to analyse, plan, deliver, monitor and evaluate newly-introduced information and services.
The $8.2 million SUNRISE Project (2004-2009) is the first initiative within the newly developed USAID HIV/AIDS strategy for Ukraine, and constitutes a substantial increase in resources directed to support the Ukrainian response to the growing HIV/AIDS epidemic.
The USAID-funded SUNRISE project supports the following activities in eight most affected regions:
- Providing information and additional services to injecting drug users and female sex workers linked to Global Fund Round 1 grant-supported activities and introducing innovative prevention techniques to enable increased coverage. Through Global Fund Round 6 grant implementation, the information and education component will be expanded for these populations in 2007-2009, and additional services will be provided to a total of 195,000 injecting drug users and 40,000 female sex workers by the end of 2011.
- Increasing the accessibility of high-quality care and support for people living with HIV. The introduction of prevention techniques for HIV-positive people also strengthens Global Fund Round 1 prevention activities. Moreover, strengthening the capacity of the PLWH Network and its local branches facilitates effective implementation of several cross-cutting activities.
- Strengthening the prevention-care continuum, with a particular focus on improving the quality and accessibility of VCT services by strengthening the role of NGOs in VCT provision. By mid-2009, 900 medical professionals and NGO personnel will be trained in VCT provision and 300 VCT centres will receive technical support. HIV testing services within the Global Fund Round 6 grant will complement this structure through the introduction of rapid testing.
- Technical support is provided to strengthen the institutional development and capacity of local NGOs to manage big multi-component programmes, strengthen inter-sectoral coordination and mobilise resources. SUNRISE experience in strengthening coordination and NGO capacity will inform related activities.
