The  sustainability of HIV Services for Key Populations in South-East Asia project (SKPA-2). A programme implemented by the Family Planning Association of Sri Lanka conducted a Baseline Assement.  

SKPA-2, a program funded by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is designed to improve the sustainability of evidence-informed, prioritized HIV services for key populations in Bhutan, Mongolia, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka. There are four programme objectives; Accelerate financial sustainability, Improve strategic information availability and use, Promote sustainability of programmes,  Remove human rights and gender-related barriers to services. 

The baseline assessment in Sri Lanka was conducted to understand the current situation in relation to these four areas that guide SKPA-2 activities to ensure that the programme’s strategy and project’s scope is fine-tuned for the specific local circumstances as well as to give SKPA a framework to track progress through the life of the project and make necessary corrections. 

The baseline assessment comprised two parts: a literature review, in which we analyzed key information, documents and data availability and quality relevant to HIV and key populations in Sri Lanka and a series of one-on-one meetings based on the tools developed for information gathering on the four different tracks. The meetings and interviews were far reaching and included stakeholders from civil society organisations, community groups, national and subnational governments, the Country Coordinating Mechanism, and development partners. 

The baseline interviews were conducted in person by our local consultants; Sathiesh Kumar for Financial Sustainability, Ambika Satkunanathan for Human Rights and Gender and Dr Kumari Navaratne for Strategic information and programmatic sustainability, along with the team- lead, Jim Rock. 

Parallel to this activity, Felicity Young, the Principal Director of the Australian Federation of AIDS organizations and Cookie Monsuda, the Senior Programme Officer of SKPA-2, met with key stakeholders to understand specific ground realities.  

Following the information gathering and interviews Baseline team presented the Preliminary Findings to the key stakeholders in Colombo.

Group Image: Left to Right

Nadika Fernandopulle (Project Lead for GFATM Grant - FPA), Dr Kumari Navarathne (consulting on Programmatic Sustainability & Strategic Information), Sathiesh Kumar (consulting on Financial Sustainability), Jim Rock (Baseline Assessment Team Lead - AFAO), Felicity Young (Principal Director, International - AFAO), Jake Oorloff (Programme Officer - SKPA-2), Ambika Satkunanathan (consulting on Human Rights & Gender), Cookie Monsuda Chansiri (Country Lead AFAO, Sonali Gunasekera (Director - Advocacy - FPA), Ranaka Siriwardana (Project Officer - SKPA-2)