“This new Social Safety Net program builds on the prevention intervention to specific high risk groups and country’s Agenda for Prosperity whose core objective incorporated ART as one of the prevention strategies. is to achieve middle income status by 2035 by reduc- This drive is also complemented by the Catch up Plan. ing the number of Sierra Leoneans below the poverty The Catch Up Plan is a prioritized action plan to acline. It will strengthen coordination and implementa- celerate the implementation of the Operational Plan tion of social protection programs that improve nutri- 2016 – 2018 with the focus on Tripling Treatment Action and health services, and access to education, in cess. The objective is to triple the number of people order to break the inter-generational cycle of poverty”, receiving HIV treatment within three-years - from 15, ( Chief of Staff in the Office of the President). 000 in 2016 to 45,000 in 2019 The Ebola outbreak adversely affected the country The National AIDS Commission and its partners especially the social and economic sectors in terms of commemorate this year World AIDS Day on Tuesday livelihoods. The Social Safety Net programme is in- 1st December 2015 at the Kenema City Plaza. This tended to mitigate these impacts and support people year’s event which is held with the theme “Fast-track to to lift themselves out of poverty and live productive and end AIDS: get tested” has the former Vice President of dignified lives. Basically, the program will provide reg- Uganda Dr. Speciosa Wandira Kazibwe as a special ular cash transfers to 21,000 extremely poor house- Guest of Honour. holds, benefiting 126,000 people, including children, Delivering the commemoration message the MinisEbola survivors, and other ter of Health and Sanitation vulnerable people. Cash who represented His Exceltransfers will enable familency Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma lies to buy food, send chilthanked the people of Kendren to school, and protect ema for hosting the World’s assets such as livestock. AIDS Day, as this was part Though the initial phase of Government’s devolved of the programme covers commitment in bringing its only 14 percent of the appeople closer. The function proximately 147,000 exwas capped with the launchtremely poor households in ing of the 2016 strategy the country, it is a starting geared towards reducing point for an accelerated new HIV infections to zero. pace to address the issues Launching of the HIV/AIDS National of poverty and inequity, Strategic Plan 2016 - 2020 and help poorer families OBJECTIVE 4: Ensuring cope with the Ebola afterAffordable Access to Wamath. More than 2,700 beneficiaries have already ter, Sanitation, Energy, Finance, Market, ICT, Shelter, started receiving the cash transfers. Education and Land to All Citizens Especially the Rural Poor 3.5.8. Controlling HIV Epidemic in Sierra Leone 3.5.9. Improving access to safe drinking waThe HIV Prevention Strategy (2010-2015) provided ter and sanitation the overall framework and guidance for all prevention interventions in 2015. Additional strategies and guide- • A new National Water and Sanitation Policy reclines supported the implementation of specific prevenommend major reforms which include: tive interventions such as condom use, HIV Counseling • Shifting government focus from implementer to and Testing, Elimination of Mother-To-Child Transmispolicy making and facilitation; sion and Behavioral Change Communication (BCC). • Creation of a National Water Resources Board During the reporting period, the Secretariat adopted with responsibility for water resources a new strategy focusing on delivering tailor-made HIV 42 APRM Sierra Leone | Annual Progress Report