SRH and HIV/AIDS Linkages at Policies, Programmes and Service ...

3.1 Systems: Staffing,Human Resources andCapacity DevelopmentRelated bills provide for the capacitybuilding of barangay health workers(BHWs) on the promotion ofreproductive health. However, the issueof who needs to be trained and whatskills to impart has yet to be determined.Implementation, however, is leftlargely to the LGUs. The capabilitiesof personnel vary from one LGU toanother. A training needs assessmenthas to be done first before proceedingwith any kind of training. Trainingmaterials are still being developed aswith capacity building strategies. Thechallenges on integrating HIV withSRH will surface once programmesand services become available. Withregard to human resource, the biggestchallenge right now is the high turnoverof programme managers.3.2 Systems: Logistics/SuppliesThere is a separate procurement systemfor HIV and SRH. The different DOHagencies submit their procurementrequest to the Bids and AwardsCommittee (BAC) which is in chargeof all the procurement in DOH.3.3 Systems: LaboratorySupportLaboratory examinations and testsare among the services that are beingoffered as part of the HIV and SRHprogrammes. However, the thrustis mostly on HIV and STI testing.The National Reference Laboratory-STD AIDS Cooperative CentralLaboratory (SACCL) at San Lazarooffers testing for STIs. It also trainsmedical technologists on HIV testing.SACCL offers an HIV proficiencytraining course and an HIV proficiencyrefresher course. The Research Institutefor Tropical Medicine (RITM) alsooffers testing for STIs and training onHIV testing for medical technologists.3.4 Systems: Monitoringand EvaluationA national M&E plan for HIV hasalready been developed. However, theplan has yet to be fully implemented.The indicators that can capture theintegration of HIV and SRH need tobe developed.4. Service DeliverySRH-related services are available inall government hospitals. However,SRH services have yet to be reorientedto accommodate the HIV needs ofPLHIV; conversely, HIV services haveyet to be reoriented to accommodatethe SRH needs of PLHIV. At present,there are special AIDS hospital wardsand diagnostic facilities such as theNational Reference Laboratory-STD AIDS Cooperative CentralLaboratory in San Lazaro (SACCL)and the Research Institute for TropicalMedicine (RITM) offering tests forvarious STIs. They also train medicaltechnologists on HIV testing. In theproposed bills, SRH and HIV serviceswill be mandated by law to be offered inall government health facilities. There isalso collaboration between LGUs anda few NGOs to provide communitybasedHIV/AIDS prevention andcare.109