June 5, 2015 - The Global Forum on MSM & HIV (MSMGF) continues to work with the U.S. Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator (OGAC) and civil society networks to monitor the meaningful engagement of in-country key populations in the PEPFAR Country Operational Plan (COP) 2015 process. As we presented in our March and April community updates, OGAC has issued new PEPFAR COP process requirements that mandate a more meaningful engagement of PEPFAR country teams with civil society representatives of key populations in the PEPFAR COP 2015 process.We remind our civil society partners that there are multiple ways to remain engaged in the PEPFAR COP processes, in 2015 and beyond. We remind you of the crucial and urgent need to:
- Stay in contact with your PEPFAR country team via email, phone, or ideally in-person meetings to communicate key populations programming and data concerns, even after the COP is submitted to OGAC
- Ensure that you receive a final version of the approved COP from the PEPFAR country team
- Participate in formal civil society consultations that are required to occur at least once a quarter, and advocate that these consultations include meaningful participation by key populations groups
- Communicate with other major donors and key stakeholders, such as the Global Fund and the local Ministry of Health, to align priorities for key populations programming
- Advocate that normative guidance for key populations programming, such as the WHO Consolidated Guidelines, be integrated into PEPFAR COP strategy
We would appreciate hearing your perspectives on how PEPFAR engagement is going at country level, including examples of successes, positive experiences, and ongoing challenges.
Please communicate your feedback and any questions/concerns you may have to Nadia Rafif, Senior Policy Advisor, at nrafif@msmgf.org.
We thank you kindly for your much-appreciated engagement with this critical process.The full community update is available online. A downloadable PDF version is on the MSMGF website HERE.
Kind regards,The MSMGF