The main goal of this project is strengthened capacities of PLHIV through promotion of Greater Involvement of People living with AIDS  principles and providing psycho-social support to them, members of their families, friends and partners. By building PLHIV’s capacities and creating supportive environment, it is hoped that they will eventually be able to organize their own self-support and become active in HIV prevention and AIDS support responses in Montenegro.

PLHIV self-support group meetings will be organized during this project coordinated by the Center staff and a PLHIV person working with the group. There will be 3 experts (psychologist, legal advisor and Infectious Disease Specialist ) to provide PLHIV with psycho-social and legal support and medical advice.  The AIDS information line operator will receive calls related to HIV and AIDS issues.

There will be 3 trainings to strengthen the capacities of PLHIV, professionals working with PLHIV, and members of their families.  The first training will be for 20 participants (PLHIV and staff of CAZAS). Second training will be organized for 15 health professionals working with PLHIV. The third training will be for 15 participants (psychologists, social workers and students of Faculty of Political Sciences who will be future social workers).

In order to work efficiently with PLHIV, CAZAS will conduct three surveys among PLHIV. The surveys will be conducted among PLHIV and their associates (families, friends and partners), and among those who instigate discriminatory attitudes and behaviors. The first survey (questionnaire among PLHIV) and the third survey (questionnaire among above mentioned professionals) will be conducted in the first months of the project implementation and before the first training (for PLHIV and staff of CAZAS). In that way, the findings of the surveys will be used to determine the agenda and key directions of developing the training program.

We will print the Guide for PLHIV “Living with HIV”. It will contain information on Anti-Retroviral Therapy , healthy life styles, stress management and other important issues that PLHIV are facing. We have already published this Guide before (in the project also supported by FPH Suisse). The edition of the Guide will beside above mentioned things contain all the novelties regarding ART and Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy  and is necessary to be re-published because of the requests made by PLHIV. It is a book that no one published and it represents the only way they can have these kind of information gathered in one book.

We will produce brochures aimed for health care providers, psychologists and social workers in order to fight stigma and discrimination, and reduce the social distance towards PLHIV. We believe this is important for these professionals, and it will enable more efficient work and reduce the social distance towards PLHIV that is present among above mentioned professionals. These are in addition to website and other electronic media as well as presentations at donor events. Through CAZAS own funding, visits to National Theatre and cinema will be organized for PLHIV. It motivates PLHIV to get actively involved.

The project is consistent with the National AIDS Strategy. Section IV of the Strategy (Human rights and social support to PLHIV) promotes enabling and supportive environment, creation of network for social support and reduction of social distance towards PLHIV. The Project does not duplicate other on-going GFATM supported activities in Montenegro . PLHIV self-support is a gap identified by the Global Fund Project Implementation Unit  and members of National AIDS Commission.

This project is supported by Foundation Partnerships in Health-FPH.