Community based monitoring

Save the Children Bhutan under Sustainability of HIV Services for Key Populations in Asia (SKPA) Global Fund multi-country regional grant facilitated Community Based Monitoring (CBM) process for the first time in the country, in collaboration with the National AIDS and STI Control Program (NACP) and the Key Population networks and CSOs.  

The CBM process aimed atimproving the quality and uptake of HIV services and enhancing health outcomes for the key population. The process involves stakeholder consultation, finalization of the CBM tool, training of community members and implementation of the CBM plan (data gathering, analysis, producing a report) and dissemination and presentation of CBM results to all stakeholders.  Rainbow Bhutan and Lhak-Sam implemented community-based monitoring for 2020 with technical support from APCOM, (Asia Pacific Coalition on Men Sexual Health).

The CBM process has generated community-level information about the quality/availability and accessibility of services, level of uptake of HIV services by key population, and local conditions or environment impacting the uptake of services by key populations. The CBM reports have been submitted to the NACP, MoH and the findings and recommendation therein can be used meaningfully to improve service delivery at facility-level and in ensuring KP friendly services.  The CBM process has also supported the capacity strengthening of identified key population communities in terms of designing of the CBM tool, data collection and dissemination, prioritization of needs in relation to HIV, and carrying out advocacy activities. With COVID – 19 travel and gathering restrictions imposed, most of the CBM meeting/training and data collection were carried out virtually.