Innovative Tool to Assist Community Leaders Make Informed Decisions for an Improved HIV Response
Manzini – At a meeting organized by the Ministry of Tinkhundla Administration and Development, the Honorable Mduduzi Dlamini, introduced the innovative Community Data for Action Platform or CDAP. The National Executive Director of NERCHA, Mr. Khanya Mabuza introduced the background and concept of CDAP.
Funded by the US Government’s PEPFAR program through USAID, CDAP is at the center of a program designed to strengthen capacity of community, regional, and national structures to coordinate and sustain a community led multi-sector HIV response. Implemented through Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, the project known as HC4 Breakthrough Action, has developed this tool to support chiefdom and municipal structures to analyze and use data for improved HIV programming and coordination.
This partnership between the Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini and the Government of the United States is committed to reducing the number of HIV infections and creating a healthy AIDS free Generation.
CDAP is a software program that is a user-friendly data collection and visualization system for use by the leaders to assist them in making informed data driven decisions in order to lead a coordinated multi-sector HIV response in their Chiefdoms. The platform, with training for the leaders, is being implemented in over 140 Chiefdoms in 24 Tinkhundla across the Kingdom. With this intervention and the support of all partners, the project aims to support a sustainable, coordinated, and community led HIV response.
As the Honorable Minister said, “Our traditional leaders have a big role to play in the reduction of new HIV infections that will allow us to achieve His Majesty’s vision of an AIDS free generation. This will be made possible by the skills and tools that HC4 is giving to our leaders.”
Her Excellency Ambassador Peterson said, “The U.S. government, through PEPFAR and its implementing partner HC4, hopes that our investment in the Community Data Action Platform will provide skills and tools so that community leaders drive the prevention, care, and treatment agenda at the local level.”
The meeting was attended by Chiefs, the Eswatini National Council, Ludzidzini Council, Regional Administrators, Government Officials, Development Partners, Civil Society and the Media.
