To Develop Innovative Modelling for Scaling up Key HIV/AIDS Interventions

Reference: PHCWG/0675
Location: London, UK
Duration: Up to a maximum of 60 person days to end September 2013
Closing Date: 30 May 2013

Project Background

Commonwealth Heads of Government, in their 2011 communiqué committed to ‘accelerating action to implement the objectives outlined in the 2011 UN Political Declaration on AIDS’. The Commonwealth Eminent Persons Group (EPG) in their recommendations to the Heads of Government in 2011 also recognised the need for a multi-sectoral Commonwealth approach to addressing HIV/AIDS and the importance of external collaborations in preventing and treating HIV/AIDS.

There have been many achievements and successes in addressing HIV/AIDS globally and in Commonwealth states, notably increased access to anti-retroviral drugs, especially in low-income countries. From 200,000 people worldwide receiving anti-retroviral treatment in 2001, to 8 million people in middle- and low-income countries receiving anti-retroviral treatment by the end of 2011. Furthermore, by the end of 2010, in 33 countries across the world the rate of new infections, incidence, had been reduced by at least 25%. The increased global coverage of services to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV is another major success in the HIV/AIDS response. Many Commonwealth countries have also made much progress in applying a multi-sectoral approach to the HIV/AIDS response.

Despite these successes and achievements, HIV/AIDS still remains a major global public health challenge. More than 34 million people worldwide are living with HIV/AIDS and in 2011 alone 2.2 million people were newly infected with HIV and 1.7 million people died of AIDS. Clearly, much still needs to be done to address the epidemic, to save lives and to improve the quality of life of those living with HIV/AIDS.

In 2011,an Investment Framework Study Group consisting of experts from diverse fields published a framework outlining targeted and strategic approaches to investment that would yield long-term dividends in addressing the HIV/AIDS epidemic. One of the major successes of the global response to HIV/AIDS has been the ground-breaking funding of interventions to address the epidemic. This financing, together with high level political will and the unity of the global community, has contributed greatly to the success of the global response to HIV/AIDS. The Lancet study was therefore very significant and timely.

The need for a multi-sectoral approach to HIV/AIDS has been recognised for some time, the challenges of implementing such approaches is also well-documented. Hence the need to scale up the multi-sectoral approach to HIV/AIDS, particularly in poverty reduction and other public health interventions, in order to maintain and accelerate gains in HIV/AIDS response.

Thus instead of focusing on the financial investment required to maintain and accelerate the global response to HIV/AIDS, this assignment seeks to identify public health and poverty-reduction interventions that are critical if current gains are not only to be maintained, but accelerated, particularly in the post-2015 era. The assignment will bring together global experts from diverse health fields as well as experts beyond the health field, to develop an analytical model of the public health and poverty-reduction interventions required to accelerate the impact of gains in addressing HIV/AIDS. The expert group will also develop a publication presenting the projections and implications of the analytical model for the global response to HIV/AIDS.

The publication will supplement the existing HIV/AIDS literature by focusing on interventions that exist outside of the traditional HIV/AIDS sphere, including addressing communicable diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis, maternal and child health, other health interventions, as well as non-health poverty-related interventions, that would have an impact on HIV/AIDS. The publication would be useful in mobilising a more holistic and effective approach to HIV/AIDS in Commonwealth member states.

Project Aim

The main aim of the consultancy is to develop a novel model on ‘accelerating impact in addressing HIV/AIDS through scaling up of key interventions’, which will offer projections and implications of innovative multi-sectoral interventions in the global response to HIV/AIDS.

Project Objectives

• Critique existing HIV/AIDS interventions for effectiveness and impact.
• Generate a body of knowledge to drive evidence-based interventions, in and outside the traditional HIV/AIDS arena, for maintaining current gains in addressing HIV/AIDS and accelerating progress in the post-2015 era.
• Develop optional models of innovative and strategic approaches to HIV/AIDS interventions, directly health-related and non-health related.

Scope of work

The model and report developed through this consultancy will include a review, analysis and discussion which will include the following, but not necessarily confined only to these points:

• Identification of suitable and available global experts in the fields of public health, development, economics, analytical modelling and other relevant fields to research, design and develop different aspects of the assignment. The tasks will be undertaken in collaboration but not necessarily in the same geographic location.
• Literature Review: the review will focus on public health and poverty-focused interventions that could have an impact on new HIV infections and HIV/AIDS mortality but are currently being implemented on a small scale. This will then determine what interventions to include within the model to be developed.
• Development of analytical model: based on the literature review, the team of experts will develop a statistical analytical model that will predict how to ensure an accelerated impact in addressing HIV/AIDS by scaling up a discrete package of interventions.
• Development of a report: based on the literature review and the projections of the analytical model, the team of experts will develop a draft report which will be peer-reviewed before publication and dissemination. This will include recommendations to the Commonwealth Secretariat on ways in which the Secretariat can assist member states implement the key findings from the consultancy.
• Approach: collaborative approach to include wide stakeholder representation (reference group led by the Commonwealth Secretariat) so that the end product should have wide appeal, taking into account Commonwealth perspectives, relevance to low and middle-income countries, application beyond the health sector and relevance to post-2015 agenda.

Deliverables

• Background document based on the findings of the literature review.
• Analytical model that will predict and outline the interventions required to accelerate impact in addressing HIV/AIDS and the consequences of not
• Draft report: the draft publication is expected to be fully proof-read and peer-reviewed. The Commonwealth Secretariat will provide comments and feedback on the draft publication.
• Final report: the revised publication, taking into account all comments and feedback is to be submitted to the Commonwealth Secretariat and then jointly submitted to an agreed reputable journal.

Duration and Budget

The level of effort required for the assignment is for up to a maximum period of 60 person days. Fees payable are at the rate of £300 per day plus reimbursement of actual costs incurred for expenses up to a maximum of £500. Reimbursement of expenses must be supported by official receipts, invoices, bills or any other evidence of payment.

Anticipated timeframe for deliverables

Deliverable	Deadline
Signing of Contract	2013
Submission of background document	Approximately June 2013
Submission of draft framework of analytical model	End of June 2013
Submission of First Draft of report for Comments	End of August 2013
Submission of Final report	End of September 2013
Approval of Final Report

Approval of the draft and final publication is dependent on the report being to a standard deemed acceptable to the Commonwealth Secretariat. Should the publication be deemed not to be to the required standard, it will be returned with comments to the consultant, who will be expected to amend and re-submit it within two weeks of receipt from the Secretariat of comments made on the report.

Qualifications/experience

The consultant must be able to demonstrate evidence of the skills, knowledge and experience detailed in the following person specification:

• Post-graduate qualification in a health-related field or public health or socio-economic development, or economics or equivalent fields in health.
• Experience in healthcare and/or public health intervention modeling, including analytical modeling are desirable.
• Demonstrated ability to mobilise global experts in relevant fields.
• At least 10 years’ experience in the global HIV/AIDS and development field and knowledge gained through research, practical experience and participation in global debates and consultations.
• Experience of analysis and report writing, and ability to present key debates and recommendations in an engaging manner, to diverse audiences.
• Proven ability to produce high-quality work according to tight deadlines with minimum supervision.

Further Information

How to apply

Terms of Reference - Innovative Modelling for Scaling up Key HIV/AIDS Interventions