Details: Published on 20 January 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted a number of issues in countries affected by various disasters, including the HIV epidemic, drug addiction difficulties, food insecurity, and weakened governance on emergency readiness and response. In order to effectively address these issues, it is necessary to incorporate HIV and drug use interventions into the broader disaster response.

The Middle East and North Africa Harm Reduction Association (MENAHRA) has conducted situation assessments for Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia, and Yemen to understand the context of these countries and provide recommendations to support the needs of people living with HIV (PLHIV) and people who use drugs (PWUD) during emergency responses. Based on these assessments, MENAHRA has developed emergency preparedness plans (EPPs) to help governments, NGOs, Civil society organizations (CSOs), and UN agencies deliver the minimum required multi-sectoral response to address the needs of PLWH and PWUD during different phases of emergencies.

CSOs play a crucial role in the implementation of these emergency preparedness plans. They provide critical information, support, and services to vulnerable communities, and are often the first responders during a crisis. CSOs are also able to reach and serve marginalized communities that may be overlooked by government-led efforts. They can also act as intermediaries between government and local communities, providing feedback on the effectiveness of emergency response efforts and highlighting areas for improvement.

The EPPs focus on early preparedness measures, which should be integrated into existing plans and utilize local resources to minimize the adverse effects of a disaster and ensure timely, appropriate, and sufficient delivery of the emergency response. Emergency preparedness also focuses on strengthening resilience, especially in vulnerable households and communities, and building up local capacity to address the crisis. By incorporating HIV and drug use interventions into the broader disaster response, we can better protect the health and well-being of populations affected by pandemics and other health emergencies like the current COVID-19 outbreak. With the active involvement of CSOs, the emergency preparedness plans can have the greatest impact on the most vulnerable communities.

Find out more:

Emergency Preparedness Plans for HIV and Harm Reduction Service Providers in Egypt: https://menahra.org/images/EPP_Booklet_En_Egypt_22.pdf

Emergency Preparedness Plans for HIV and Harm Reduction Service Providers in Morocco: https://www.menahra.org/images/latest-reports/EPP_Booklet_En_Morocco_22.pdf

Emergency Preparedness Plans for HIV and Harm Reduction Service Providers in Jordan: https://www.menahra.org/images/latest-reports/EPP_Booklet_En_Jordan_22.pdf

Emergency Preparedness Plans for HIV and Harm Reduction Service Providers in Tunisia: https://www.menahra.org/images/latest-reports/EPP_Booklet_En_Tunisia.pdf

MENAHRA Communications Strategy

Details: Published on 06 June 2022

A communication strategy refers to a set plan that is designed to promote an organization’s core values in order that its objectives and milestones may be achieved.
Internal and external parties must be considered in the strategy such that the discussion of interests with the relevant stakeholders is streamlined, efficient, and mutually beneficial. Moreover, this allows organizations to adapt to an ever-changing industry and professional climate. Through a clear and structured communication plan, leadership strategies can be implemented so that tasks are managed and run smoothly, and key stakeholders, partners, and donors are involved in the decision-making and execution processes.

MENAHRA Strategic Plan 2022 - 2027

Details: Published on 06 May 2022

MENAHRA Strategic Plan 2022 - 2027

The development of this strategic document included multiple steps that ensured and maximized the participation of all relevant stakeholders and ended with a common consensus around the new proposed vision, mission, organogram, domains of action, and strategic objectives.

Emergency Preparedness Plan for HIV Service Providers in Yemen

Details: Published on 22 February 2022

Emergency Preparedness Plan for HIV Service Providers in Yemen

Background

In August 2021, a situation assessment of needs was carried out to explore the impact of the COVID-19 on HIV services and PLHIV in Yemen. The overarching goal of this study was to highlight the challenges that HIV service providers have encountered in the provision of HIV services, the barriers that have hindered PLHIV access to care, and the mitigation strategies that were adopted by HIV service providers in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings of this study were used to inform the development of the emergency preparedness plan for HIV service providers in Yemen by building on their previous response in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.