Cotonou, December 6, 2007 — HIV and AIDS pose an unprecedented challenge to the achievement of sustainable socioeconomic development. Cognizant of the gravity of this epidemic, of its negative impact on the individual, the family, and the community, officials from the five countries of the Abidjan-Lagos migration corridor, namely Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Nigeria, designed and implemented a joint project.
The Joint Regional STD/HIV/AIDS Project along the Abidjan-Lagos Transport Corridor (commonly known as the Corridor Project) seeks to expand the access of vulnerable persons to support services, basic care and treatment, and prevention. In this migration context, the project targets transport sector workers, police officers, customs officers, porters, sex workers, and other persons working at the border posts between the five countries.
The Corridor Project, which cost a total of US$19.9 million (including a grant for US$16.6 million from the World Bank), was launched in 2004 and is the first regional HIV/AIDS prevention project to be financed by the World Bank. Owing to its multisectoral and multicountry nature, it contributes to regional integration in West Africa.
Three main components
The first component of the Corridor Project covers prevention services, including the implementation of integrated communication strategies for behavioral change along the corridor and social marketing of condoms in the various communities. The second component includes care and support services for the target populations. More specifically, it supports the strengthening of public and private health care facilities located along the corridor to provide services in the areas of voluntary testing, the treatment of STDs, medical waste management, and the provision of grants for community-based initiatives in HIV/AIDS care.
The third component supports the development of inter-country coordination mechanisms, and partnerships among the governments and other partners; and capacity building of partners in the implementation of policies in the transport sector that encourage and facilitate the free movement of persons and goods along the Abidjan-Lagos corridor.
 Results achieved since implementation Since its launch in 2004, the Corridor Project has posted significant results toward achievement of the fixed development objectives. Several activities were therefore conducted in the main areas, namely: Health & Environment: preparation and distribution of 14,000 STD kits; treatment of more than 20,000 STD cases; receipt of medical materials and consumables; audit of the management system for drugs, condoms, and other products; social marketing; supervision of the implementation of health care waste management; distribution of materials and equipment (three-wheeler vehicles, waste receptacles, gloves, masks, glasses, etc.) in the five countries; construction of incinerators; acquisition of reagents for HIV voluntary testing and use of the immunofluorescence microscope; preparation of awareness-building materials to change behavior.
Transport & the Multisectoral Approach: conduct of seven quarterly surveys on the observation of practices along the Corridor and at the borders (2005-2007); capacity building of the interborder facilitation committees and mobilization of resources for their benefit; installation of giant billboards and directional signs at the borders; construction of restrooms at the borders.
Coordination and Fiduciary Management: transfer of skills from the GTZ [German cooperation agency] to the project’s executive secretariat; mobilization of resources from the West African Health Organization (WAHO) and ECOWAS; mobilization of resources from the World Bank for the Road Transport and Transit Facilitation Project; organization of the transition from the IDA project to the Global Fund project; mobilization of counterpart funds from member States; construction of information units and voluntary testing centers at the borders.
 Results in terms of impact
In terms of impact, the Project has, among other things, contributed to: increased awareness of the pandemic and a better understanding of STD/HIV/AIDS; a reduction in the problem of stigmatization of People Living With HIV/AIDS; improved movement along the corridor; capacity building of agents at the border posts, human resources of nongovernmental organizations, consultants, and trade unions; and closer collaboration among state institutions, as well as among national professional organizations (subregional integration).
A reference point for best practices
According to Mr. Justin Koffi, the Project’s executive secretary, the Corridor Project has become a reference point for best practices in HIV/AIDS prevention in high risk populations, that is, migrants and all persons affected by migration. This is therefore a perfect example of a regional and multisectoral approach for combating HIV/AIDS.
By Nadiath Dende, World Bank, Benin
For a specific example on the implementation of the Corridor Project at two border posts, read the article below: ” Combating AIDS in Togo – the experience at the borders with Ghana and Benin"
For more information: www.corridor-sida.org |
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