The ATOMM project has been operating in Zambia since 2004 in collaboration with PPAZ and the Masaiti District Health Management Team, supported by IPPF and FIDR.

From 26th July to 2nd August, Nobuhiro Kadoi, Senior Program Officer, JOICFP, was in Zambia for project monitoring and visited the Mishikishi Rural Health Center (RHC) in Masaiti.

The last two years have seen a dramatic uptake in voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) since the project began.

Project impact

• Psychosocial counselors increased from 6 to 58
• RHCs providing VCT increased from 3 to 22
• 154 community-based SRH promoters, and 107 youth peer educators trained on HIV/AIDS education and communication
• Number of people tested for HIV up from 102 in 2003 to 1,038 in 2005
• Seven RHCs offer ART compared to none before in the project districts (Lufwanyama and Masaiti)

Graph showing the impact the project has had
on the uptake of VCT
（Information source : Masaiti and Lufwanyama DHMTs）

Stigma about a positive HIV status has always been a problem, and in June 2006, BCC and advocacy training was conducted for one week for 20 PLWHA who had made public their positive status, or were willing to.

One participant, Gloria Mwangani spoke about how she came to learn of her positive status after her husband abandoned her on being tested positive himself. She explained that she became ill and found she was HIV positive.

Gloria was able to receive antiretroviral therapy (ART), and decided to make her status public and to participate in the training. As a result, she feels empowered and accompanies a midwife from the Health Center in antenatal outreach.

Gloria shares her experiences with the clients, explaining how HIV can be transmitted from mother to child, and encourages women to go for VCT.

Importantly, Gloria also wants to be seen as a model PLWHA who is able to maintain her health through compliance with ART.

Using a model of the uterus
developed by PWLHA in the training,
Gloria is able to clearly explain the mechanisms
of mother-to-child transmission of HIV