(introduction...)

Encouraging the adoption of syndromic management required considerable effort at the policy level as well as research to validate and adapt WHO algorithms in different settings. AIDSCAP worked with local officials and providers to build consensus on the need for a standardized approach to STD management and to develop national guidelines for syndromic management of STDs. The success of this collaborative process laid the foundation for subsequent efforts to strengthen STD services.

AIDSCAP worked to improve STD care at points of first encounter through technical assistance and training in syndromic management, communication, and STD program management for providers, managers and pharmacists. Despite initial resistance to the syndromic approach, follow-up assessments of the STD care provided by trainees in different countries found marked increases in the percentages of clients receiving effective treatment.

The following case studies give good examples of the process several different Latin American and Caribbean countries experienced with the introduction of STD syndromic management into their countries.