Engaging the Community to Increase Testing for HIV
In 2000, we started working with the Ministry of Health to establish voluntary testing and counseling (VCT) sites, both government-run and partner-supported. These efforts went hand-in-hand with the rapid push to expand treatment services (link to HIV/TB project), since we and our government partners viewed testing without hope for treatment to be unwise and even harmful.
With our Ministry partners we have paid special attention over the years to various at-risk populations, including youth, health workers, and tuberculosis patients. HAI helped establish youth-friendly health centers in the central region, which were then expanded nation-wide. These sites provide testing and counseling, and also link youth to community-based services related to HIV/AIDS such as post-test clubs that offer education, information, and a way for youth to encourage others to get tested. Radio spots and community theater promote the youth-friendly sites, including on special days like the "dia de menina" (girls' day) to motivate young people to get tested.
Beginning in 2007, the MOH began to integrate HIV testing into routine in-patient and out-patient services. HAI supported training and implementation of HIV-testing across services to reduce missed opportunities to identify HIV-positive patients accessing services to treat other health problems.
Programs supported by USAID/PEPFAR.