Voices of Change:  Community-Led Monitoring Shaping the HIV Response

In a radical move toward achieving a more people-centered HIV response, the Community-Led Monitoring (CLM) initiative was officially launched in Rwamagana and Gasabo districts respectively.  The events were held between September 10^th to 13^th, 2024, with the establishment of district task teams.

This launch was organized by the Rwanda Network of People living with HIV/RRP+ in collaboration with the Rwanda Biomedical Center (RBC), UNAIDS-Rwanda and brought together key stakeholders, including community members, health officials, civil society organizations, and government representatives.

The initiative, which brings communities directly into the fold of monitoring and evaluating HIV services, is set to transform how healthcare services are delivered to People Living with HIV (PLHIV) and other key populations.

Deo Mutambuka, the Executive Secretary of RRP+, remarked: “It is high time, HIV response changed from being driven by top-down approaches to a narrative where communities become the eyes and ears of the healthcare system, ensuring that the services delivered meet the needs of those who use them.”

This process will involve data collection directly from the community, which will be used to drive policy decisions and improve the efficiency of HIV care and treatment services.

“It is an effective way of service delivery to citizens, in a manner that meets their expectation. We normally serve based on local needs, therefore the locals ought to play a role, adding their voice about those needs that have to be respected. This will help government to improve the quality of service, speeding up development.”, Said Elvis Hakizimana, Ag. District Health Officer-Rwamagana.

Putting Communities at the Heart of the HIV Response

Community-Led Monitoring (CLM) is a new approach that enables communities most affected by HIV to systematically gather data on the quality of services being offered to them. It allows them to directly report challenges and barriers they face in accessing HIV services, such as medication stockouts, stigma, and discrimination, or delays in treatment.

During the workshops held to train district task teams about community-led monitoring & their scope of Work, participants called for more capacity building so as to speed up the implementation of CLM.

The workshops held in the two districts were intended to bring about Improved understanding of the stakeholders on community-led monitoring, have established district task teams to support implementation & scope of Work at district level This is based on the background that community-led monitoring is considered an ongoing process in which communities affected by health inequities systematically monitor services, analyze the data they collect and conduct evidence-driven advocacy to improve service delivery and establish an enabling environment for their well-being.