Assessment of The effectiveness of Participatory HIV/AIDS prevention and support (PAPAS) on improving behavioral change

Abstract

Introduction: HIV/AIDS is becoming not only Health problem but Economical, Social and political problem from decades ago worldwide especially for the developing countries. Participatory AIDS Prevention and Support is implementing in Ethiopia starting from 2004 with the support of CRS. The existing PAPAS intervention coverage in Ethiopia is very limited. Nowadays, despite some emerging initiatives to meet the behavioral change for the community by providing Health education and life skills development, their proper implementation and effectiveness was not adequately measured. Objective: To assess whether there is increased behavioral change among the community members in the area were PAPAS has intervention from those who get Health education Methodology: A quantitative comparative cross sectional study was conducted in Eastern Zones of Tigray region GulomekedaWoreda in Seven PAs the study participants were PAPAS Participants and PAPAS Non-Participants. Structured self administered questionnaire was used to collect data. The main outcomes measured during the study knew the prevention and transmission, change in behavior and their practice. Result: A total of 306 people whose age is greater than 18 years were participated in the study 153 were PAPAS Participants and 153 are Non-PAPAS Participants. The study result showed there is great significance difference among PAPAS participants and non participants in Knowledge, attitude and skill (practice) as a result they PAPAS participants were active (in practicing condom use, in utilization of HIV testing, in decreased stigma and discrimination and in helping others as social funding. - iii - Conclusion and Recommendation: Such studies were new for the region and even in Ethiopia may be in other world or not released out and this was my head ache for references problems, however. I was really eager enough to see what\s their advantage as a result of PAPAS training and the disadvantage for the community who were not participating. Such life skill trainings will play great significance in changing their behavior especially for those who are not able to write and read and there for my recommendation here is NGO\s and GO\s shall actively involved as a result will contribute much in decreasing transmission of HIV and its impact. The other thing I emphasized other researchers to investigate morel.