EpiC is an eight-year global initiative that provides strategic technical assistance and direct service delivery to achieve HIV epidemic control and strengthen global health security.
Jean Raoul Nsanganira, Digital Communication Assistant, FHI 360 The digital era has brought innovative ways for people to stay connected and reach out to one another. While social media use is low in Mali compared to other countries (10 percent... Continue Reading
Michael Cassell, Senior Technical Advisor, EpiCIgnatius Mogaba, Papua New Guinea Country Representative, FHI 360Simon Nianfop, Social & Behavior Communication Officer, FHI 360Lisa Stevens, Senior Technical Advisor, FHI 360 Cover Photo: A peer outreach worker receives his first dose of the... Continue Reading
Lilian Tutegyereize, Technical Officer, Science Facilitation, FHI 360Aubrey Weber, Technical Officer, Science Facilitation, FHI 360 To date, the CHOICE Collaboration has conducted three virtual HIV Prevention Ambassador Trainers’ Workshops with more than 75 trainers from four countries, and a fourth... Continue Reading
Tashi Dendup, EpiC Consultant, Save the Children, BhutanKarma Doma Tshering, Project Manager, Save the Children, BhutanSumita Taneja, Director, Country Programs, FHI 360, India Dr. Ujal Pradhan is a young and enthusiastic anesthesiologist who works in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit... Continue Reading
Michael Cassell, Senior Technical Advisor, EpiCBettina Kaye Castañeda, Senior Strategic Information Advisor, EpiC PhilippinesJoven Santiago, Social & Behavior Change Communications Technical Advisor, EpiC Philippines With an estimated 16,000 new HIV infections per year—sustained primarily by gaps in HIV service access... Continue Reading
Since 2015, WHO has recommended oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for people at substantial risk of HIV. However, PrEP rollout in many settings in the Asia Pacific region and the rest of the world is limited and not at scale. This... Continue Reading
Interviewee: Millicent Kiruki, Health Systems Researcher, LVCT HealthInterviewer: Casey Bishopp, Technical Officer, Science Facilitation, FHI 360 My colleagues and I were up for a challenge as we prepared for a 60-person, virtual HIV Prevention Ambassador Trainers’ Workshop with participants from... Continue Reading
Gift Kambandanga, Project Manager, EpiC, PSI MalawiPhilip C. Mkandawire, Market Development, Social Franchise & Research, Deputy Chief of Party, PSI MalawiLirica Nishimoto, Technical Officer, EpiC, FHI 360Moses Bateganya, Technical Director, EpiC, FHI 360 With more than 850,000 people living with HIV (PLHIV)... Continue Reading
Choice Makufa, Senior Technical Advisor, Pact Eswatini I could not believe my eyes when I read the instructions from the facilitator of the HIV Prevention Ambassador Trainers’ Workshop: “Please read the entire training package and toolkit before the training begins.”... Continue Reading
Angelique Mihigo, Program Assistant, EpiC MaliKounadi Coulibaly, Strategic Information (SI) Advisor, EpiC Mali KOLOCHI is an electronic reporting system for tracking HIV cascade data across all services provided for female sex workers (FSW), men who have sex with men (MSM),... Continue Reading
This blog is managed by the EpiC project and dedicated to sharing stories, events, and resources from HIV epidemic control efforts around the world.
Assessment
A questionnaire or “screener” meant to be used with individual patients in a clinical setting to screen for, help diagnose, or monitor progress for individual mental health conditions.
Intervention
Larger packages or broader-reaching resources that describe actions or activities to be implemented. These may be appropriate for individuals, groups, and/or programs.
Anxiety
Feelings of fear, dread, and uneasiness that may occur as a reaction to stress. Anxiety can be a symptom or a feeling; it can also be a clinical diagnosis of a mental health condition.
Burnout
A state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress, typically related to one’s work, that is not managed well. Burnout is considered an occupational phenomenon.
Clinical diagnoses
Mental or neuropsychiatric disorders, or disruptive, unusual, or maladaptive behaviors that have been evaluated and diagnosed by a trained medical professional.
Depression
A mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest.
Disability
A physical or mental condition that limits a person’s movements, senses, or activities.
Insomnia
A sleep disorder, or disordered sleep pattern, characterized by trouble falling and/or staying asleep.
Overall well-being
The state of being comfortable, healthy, or happy; judging one’s own life positively; generally, “feeling good.”
Post-traumatic stress (PTS)
A normal adaptive response to traumatic or stressful life events that can result in a wide range of distressing symptoms. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) differs from PTS and is a clinical diagnosis.
Self-efficacy
An individual’s belief in their capacity to act in the ways necessary to reach specific goals.
Self-harm/suicidality
Deliberate injury to oneself as an emotional coping mechanism, ranging from cutting oneself to suicide. Expressions of self-harm and/or suicidality are usually considered an emergency and should be assessed and managed by a trained professional.
Social support
The perception that one is cared for, has assistance available if needed, and that one is part of a supportive social network.
Stress
Any type of change to one’s internal or external environment that causes physical, emotional, or psychological strain. “Managing stress” is an effort to return from this state of strain or disturbance to homeostasis or well-being.
Substance abuse
Use of a substance (usually drugs or alcohol) in amounts or by methods that are harmful to oneself or others. Substance use disorder (SUD) and addiction are distinct clinical diagnoses.
Trauma
Lasting biopsychosocial and/or emotional response that often results from experiencing a terrible event such as an accident, crime, military combat, or natural disaster, or a series of chronic traumatic events like persistent abuse or neglect.
Program beneficiary
Individual who receives program services; an entire group or population may be the recipient of services.
Service provider
Individual who directly provides services to another individual, group, or population (the “program beneficiary”) through a program.