Project Focus Areas
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HIV Testing Services (HTS) which includes:
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HIV Testing, pre-test and post –test counselling at community level
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Linkage/referral to appropriate HIV prevention, care, treatment and other support services to health facilities and other support community structures such as cervical cancer screening, SRH/FP, EMTCT, STI and TB screening. For those who are HIV positive, they will be provided with escorted services to immediately commence ART on the same day (Test and Start). Index testing/Partner notification will be used for all clients who test HIV Positive.
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Supporting quality assurance in an effort to deliver consistently correct results
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HIV self-testing in which an individual performs an HIV test on oneself and interprets the result often in a private setting either alone or with someone he/she trusts.
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Social and Behaviour Change Communications (SBCC).
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Address harmful gender and other social determinants of HIV such as gender-based violence (GBV) and multiple and concurrence partnerships (MCPs) by integrating GBV screening into HIV Testing Services
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Positive Health, Dignity and Prevention (PHDP).
Current Project
Since July 2018, UCP has been working with CIDRZ to improve case identification to improve HIV positivity yield by actively working with the newly diagnosed HIV infected individuals as well as those already on ART to identify their sexual contacts who may be at elevated risk of HIV infection and their biological children under the age of 12. UCP ensured that all newly identified positives are linked to the health facilities through escorted linkage for expedited commencement on ART. Furthermore, the new HIV infected individuals in the community are indexed to ensure that all their sexual networks are tested for HIV and link those testing HIV positive to the health facilities. The work is being done in Lusaka District at Kanyama First Level Hospital, Kanyama West, Matero First Level Hospital, Matero Main and George health facilities. UCP had to identify Community Based Volunteers jointly with the health facility staff using set criteria. The Community Based Volunteers were trained in index/partner notification knowledge and skills for them to effectively carry out the interventions in the community. The index testing intervention started mid- August 2018 and by the end of August, 996 individuals were tested out of which 423 tested HIV+ to HIV representing a 41.5 percent positivity rate. A total of 379 clients were linked and initiated on ART representing a 92 percent ART initiation rate.