As PEPFAR enters its 16th year, this event will highlight the contributions of OVC programs to the global 95-95-95 targets. Additionally, OVC programs have assisted millions of households to prevent HIV infection and mitigate the impact of HIV. By mobilizing and engaging both health and social welfare systems, OVC programs have been pivotal to the success of HIV testing and treatment outcomes through enhancing community-clinic linkages, addressing the structural drivers of the epidemic, and preventing and responding to violence against children. The conference will highlight new priorities for OVC programs, best practices from current programs and discussion of challenges and opportunities to find, link, and retain children living with HIV.
The conference format will include plenary and panel discussions, smaller breakout discussions and an OVC tool marketplace. Speakers will hail from the OVC local implementing partners, Chiefs of Party of PEPFAR-funded OVC programs, international non-governmental organizations as well as representatives from the U.S. Government including the Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator, United States Agency for International Development and Centers for Disease Control. Key topics will include: OVC program targeting, gender-based violence, finding HIV+ children/youth, linking HIV+ children/youth to treatment and promoting treatment adherence, transitioning project implementation to local primes, case management, graduation benchmarks and measuring the pathway to better outcomes for OVC programs.
The conference will be held 29-30 May 2019.