Continuous monitoring of coverage indicators is an important aspect of any HIV prevention programme for key populations (KPs). The majority of coverage indicators involve the use of programme data and population size estimate percentage levels of coverage. As such most of the programme data requires to be distinguished between the number of clients accessing a service (or package of services) and the number of client contacts for that service (or package of services)

Dr Yamin was chosen as a consultant for the assignment on Development and Pilot Testing of the UIC to measure coverage indicators for HIV prevention programmes in Sri Lanka in 2018. (Dr. Yamin has been working in the field of HIV/AIDS and development for more than 10 years, in various setting of HIV/AIDS program models. She has strong background in monitoring, evaluation and data management and providing consultation supports to INGOs and UN regarding HIV/AIDS and development projects.)

Specific areas of support were provided by Dr. Virginia Loo. (Dr. Loo has a Ph. D in Epidemiology from the School of Public Health, University of California – Berkeley. She has conducted consultancies on   strengthening M&E and surveillance systems; reviewing grant proposals, programme and impact evaluations; development of M & E guidelines, protocols, and training materials; and writing reports and publications and has experience on development of electronic patient information systems and national scale up for care and treatment in Rwanda, India and Uganda).

FPA Sri Lanka conducted a feasibility study for UIC in two districts for Female Sex Workers (FSW), Drug Users (DU), Men who have sex with Men (MSM) in Kandy; and Beach Boys (BB) in Gampaha from October to December, 2018.

Today’s meeting (22nd January 2019) was to disseminate the feasibility findings to FPA Sri Lanka’s partners of the Global Fund HIV Prevention Project that includes the National STD/AIDS of feasibility among our all partner including the National STD/AIDS Control Programme (NSACP), Ministry of Health.

Dr Yamin conducted a presentation(via skype) and discussion on the finding of UIC feasibility assessment. The Director of the NSACP and FPASL Executive Director Ms Thushara Agus also addressed the gathering.

Ms Nadika Fernandopulle -Project Manager GFATM HIV Prevention Proeject and Deputy Director- HIV was the moderator at this meeting.