Côte D’Ivoire

Historically, the West African nation of Côte D’Ivoire was one of the most prosperous countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. However, since the late 1990s, political turmoil has devastated the economy, displaced hundreds of thousands of people, and diminished health and social services. At the same time, the number of people living with HIV has increased. In urban areas, women are more than twice as likely to acquire HIV infection as men. Those who are living with HIV are particularly vulnerable to other sexually transmitted infections, high-risk pregnancies, and social stigma and discrimination. Yet they remain among the most underserved in the country.

Through the ACQUIRE Project, EngenderHealth provided technical assistance to four non-governmental organizations in Côte D’Ivoire to help build their capacity to provide appropriate medical care for women and girls living with the disease. Building on existing networks of women living with HIV, girls clubs, and other local groups, EngenderHealth supported these organizations to:

• Provide counseling on reproductive health and family planning for women and girls living with HIV and where they can access contraception, maternal care, and community support
• Raise awareness in communities on where people living with HIV can access services
• Reduce HIV stigma and discrimination
• Maintain high quality and integrated reproductive health and HIV services