CASPR
About CASPR Project
The CASPR project was focused on advocacy for biomedical HIV interventions in the pipeline from research to rollout and brings together experienced partners committed to a collaborative movement for responsive HIV prevention research. CASPR activities fell into three major pillars of activities – advocacy and policy, research preparedness, and research translation. 
The target population includes Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW), Pregnant and Lactating People (PLP), Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), and key influencers of PLP, such as mothers, partners, and community leaders. The project was USAID-funded, supported through a partnership led by AVAC, with contributions from various Africa-based partners. CASPR was divided into two workstream: (i) HIV Prevention Workstream and (ii) CASPR MERL Workstream
PZ under CASPR operated across three major pillars: advocacy and policy, research preparedness, and research translation. The scope included advocacy for biomedical HIV prevention interventions and engaging stakeholders such as civil society organizations, government ministries, and educational institutions. Pangaea Zimbabwe (PZ) played a significant role, focusing on capacity building, advocacy, and HIV prevention service delivery for Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) and Pregnant and Lactating Populations (PLP).
Community Health Milestone: Ministry of Health Endorses CASPR HIV Prevention Manual: The Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) endorsed the HIV Prevention Manual for Pregnant and Lactating People, a significant milestone that allows the manual to be disseminated across communities. PZ facilitated a review, and stakeholder feedback from the Ministry, ensuring it becomes a trusted HIV prevention resource.
Training of Mentor Mothers: Six mentor mother trainings were held, ensuring mentor mothers can share information on HIV prevention products like Oral PrEP, Dapivirine rings, and injectables in their communities, empowering pregnant and lactating individuals to make informed decisions about their health.
HIV Prevention Champions in Tertiary Institutions: HIV prevention champions became more visible through WhatsApp, face-to-face interactions, and Life Skills mass lectures. The inclusion of Adolescent Boys and Young Men (ABYM) in PrEP referrals has increased engagement in HIV prevention services in five college clinics.
The project aimed to strengthen and expand the Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting, and Learning (MERL) systems of the CASPR initiative. This was built on the revisions made to the Performance Management Plan (PMP) during Year 5, ensuring that MERL systems were better aligned with the initiative’s evolving goals. The scope of work included enhancing data collection and reporting mechanisms, improving the quality and accessibility of performance data, and fostering a culture of collaboration and ownership within the Coalition. The project prioritized the integration of MERL data into decision-making processes, ensuring that insights gained were effectively used to inform strategic and operational decisions. This approach drove continuous learning, adaptive management, and greater accountability across the Coalition.
The use of SPARC and COAT strengthened the capacity of partners to take the lead in identifying their outcomes. These tools enabled the collective harvesting of outcomes from a Contribution instead of an Attribution perspective thus highlighting the change that these diverse partners have brought about through their work.
An improvement in focusing on outcomes in using the CASPR MERL Advocacy Handbook in their advocacy activities was observed. By demonstrating the positive impact of partners` collective efforts, MERL has strengthened collaboration and cooperation among coalition partners
Focus Area
Under the HIV Prevention workstream, CASPR worked across Masvingo, Matabeleland South, Harare, Chitungwiza, Mashonaland Central and Bulawayo Provinces and had a regional reach under the MERL workstream.
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K+
Students reached with HIV Prevention information
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Tertiary institutions offering PrEP through CASPR advocacy
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ICASA Best Oral Abstract
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Pregnant and Lactating Populations Reached
CASPR Resources can be found here: CASPR Resources
