A Longstanding Partnership for Community-Led HIV Responses
For many years, MPG and ICAP at Columbia University have worked side by side to strengthen HIV care, treatment, and community systems across Myanmar. What began as a partnership focused on improving treatment access and community-based support has evolved into a broader effort to strengthen local leadership, build sustainable community systems, and empower communities to play a central role in the national HIV response.
Over the course of this partnership, ICAP has supported MPG in strengthening peer support networks, improving counseling quality, promoting treatment literacy, developing community response mechanisms, establishing linkage-to-care services, and advancing continuous learning through technical mentoring. Together, MPG and ICAP have navigated significant changes in Myanmar’s context while maintaining a shared commitment to ensuring that PLHIV continue to receive quality, people-centered support regardless of their location or circumstances.
As Myanmar has faced public health challenges, humanitarian crises, displacement, and disruptions to health services, CLOs have become increasingly important in sustaining treatment continuity and supporting PLHIV. Through this longstanding collaboration, MPG has strengthened a nationwide network of community counselors, peer supporters, and community leaders who continue to serve as trusted sources of information, support, and hope within their communities.
Building Local Leadership Through Community Systems Strengthening
Across Myanmar, PLHIV continue to face challenges in accessing and remaining connected to treatment and care services. Conflict, displacement, mobility restrictions, stigma, and economic hardship have created significant barriers for many individuals seeking lifesaving support. In this context, strong community systems and local leadership remain essential for ensuring continuity of care and improving health outcomes.
Through the partnership between MPG and ICAP, community-led HIV responses have been strengthened through peer support services, counselor capacity development, tele‑mentoring, community response mechanisms, and confidential linkage-to-care hotline services. These investments have helped ensure that people living with HIV remain at the center of the response while strengthening the capacity of local communities to address emerging challenges and changing needs.
Over the past year, hundreds of community counselors, peer supporters, and community workers from across Myanmar have participated in training and capacity development activities designed to strengthen counseling skills, treatment literacy, adherence support, psychosocial care, and community-led service delivery. Participants represented diverse geographic areas, helping expand access to quality support services across the country.
To promote continuous learning and quality improvement, MPG and ICAP also supported regular tele‑mentoring initiatives that brought together hundreds of counselors and ART supporters from different States and Regions. These sessions provided opportunities to discuss challenging cases, mental health concerns, adolescent counseling, disclosure challenges, treatment adherence, and continuity of care. Importantly, community counselors themselves played a leading role in sharing experiences, presenting solutions, and supporting peer learning across the network.
“Tele‑mentoring has become one of our most valuable learning platforms. Every session allows counselors from different communities to learn from one another, share practical solutions, and improve our ability to support clients facing complex challenges. It strengthens not only our skills but also our confidence as community counselors.”
— Community Counselor
Connecting Communities to Care Through Trusted Support Systems
A cornerstone of the partnership has been MPG’s confidential hotline and linkage-to-care services. Through thousands of counseling and support interactions, the hotline has provided HIV-related information, treatment guidance, psychosocial counseling, referrals, and linkage to care for people living with HIV across Myanmar.
As conflict and displacement disrupted access to treatment services in some areas, the hotline became an increasingly important lifeline for clients seeking information, reassurance, and assistance. Community counselors helped individuals experiencing treatment interruptions reconnect with care, locate functioning treatment sites, access adherence support, and navigate challenges associated with displacement and mobility restrictions.
“When clients contact us, many are frightened, confused, or worried about how they will continue treatment. Sometimes a simple phone call can help someone reconnect with care and restore hope. That is why this service is so important.”
— Hotline Counselor
Beyond counseling services, Community Response Teams also played an important role in supporting people affected by disruptions in healthcare access. Working closely with communities, health facilities, and local stakeholders, community teams helped monitor service availability, identify treatment gaps, and support clients in accessing care during emergencies and periods of uncertainty.
ICAP Partnership Impact
The impact of the ICAP–MPG partnership extends far beyond individual activities. Through long-term investments in community leadership, local capacity strengthening, peer learning, and service quality improvement, the partnership has helped create a stronger and more resilient community response to HIV across Myanmar. Hundreds of community counselors, peer supporters, and community workers have enhanced their skills and confidence, while thousands of people living with HIV have accessed counseling, treatment information, psychosocial support, referrals, and linkage-to-care services through community-led platforms.
These efforts have strengthened treatment adherence support, improved psychosocial wellbeing, expanded access to information, enhanced linkage-to-care services, and promoted continuity of treatment for individuals facing barriers related to conflict, displacement, stigma, and service disruptions. Perhaps most importantly, the partnership has demonstrated that community-led organizations can successfully strengthen health systems by reaching people where they are and ensuring that no one is left behind.
Localization in Action
Reflecting on these achievements, Dr. Sai Htun Lin, MPG Executive Director, emphasized the importance of strengthening community systems and investing in local leadership.
“The achievements of this partnership demonstrate that strong community systems are essential for sustaining HIV treatment and improving health outcomes. Through trained peer supporters, skilled counselors, tele‑mentoring networks, and confidential linkage-to-care services, communities are helping people living with HIV overcome barriers, remain on treatment, and access lifesaving care even during periods of conflict, displacement, and uncertainty.”
“Over the years, we have seen community counselors and peer supporters evolve from service providers into leaders, mentors, and problem-solvers within their communities. This is localization in action. Communities are not simply receiving support—they are shaping solutions, strengthening systems, and driving sustainable change.”
“I am particularly proud that community counselors from across Myanmar are increasingly leading technical discussions, sharing experiences, and supporting one another through peer learning. Their dedication demonstrates the strength and resilience of community-led responses.”
“We sincerely appreciate ICAP’s partnership and commitment to strengthening local capacity. Their support has enabled community-led organizations to expand access to information, strengthen treatment adherence, improve linkage to care, and help ensure that people living with HIV remain connected to services when they need them most.”
Looking Ahead
The achievements of community counselors, peer supporters, hotline teams, and community response networks demonstrate the power of community-led solutions. By strengthening local capacity, building technical competencies, and creating sustainable systems of support, community organizations continue to improve treatment continuity, strengthen accountability, and contribute to a more resilient HIV response across Myanmar.
MPG extends its sincere appreciation to ICAP at Columbia University for its longstanding partnership, technical leadership, and investment in community systems strengthening. Together, we remain committed to ensuring that people living with HIV across Myanmar can access quality information, psychosocial support, treatment services, and community-led care that promotes dignity, resilience, and hope.
Through continued collaboration and shared commitment, we will continue strengthening community leadership, advancing localization, and building a sustainable, people-centered HIV response that leaves no one behind.
