For more than 30 years, December 1st has been recognized as World AIDS Day to raise awareness about the epidemic and to remember the lives lost to it. This year, communities are being highlighted for the critical role they play in the AIDS response.
Communities are an essential partner for reaching people in need of HIV care, treatment and prevention services. From the earliest years of the epidemic, FHI 360 has partnered with communities, health ministries and nongovernmental organizations to pioneer and implement HIV and AIDS programs.
To enhance those programs, FHI 360 has developed a new management tool designed to optimize efficiencies, build synergies and enforce accountability. Known as the Total Quality, Leadership and Accountability (TQLA) approach, it centers on three core elements: adaptive leadership, situation room meetings and performance improvement (see Figure 1). Together, these elements strengthen the capacity of implementers and providers at all levels to use data for planning, to adopt local solutions to address weak spots and to enforce accountability to improve results. TQLA entails holding everyone, irrespective of status in an organization, responsible for implementing program activities with fidelity.
By using this new approach with several of our HIV programs, FHI 360 has improved case identification, increased antiretroviral therapy initiation and retention in care, and expanded support for the elimination of mother-to-child transmission as well as expanded nutrition assessment, counseling and support.
The TQLA approach can be applied not only to health programs, but also to other sectors. Learn more from the TQLA fact sheet.
