SRHR-HIV Integration: From a global to local level

Selected Q&A

Questions asked by webinar attendees but not covered in the live Q&A session due to time constraints are included below with comments from our presenters. Please note that this section will be updated with additional questions in the next week. 

What are the sustainability plans you have in place for your own program, Futhie?

We are banking our hopes on our government to absorb these projects in terms of funding to retain the trained personnel, train more, and for supplies and equipment. (Futhie)

There is a challenge in accessing PrEP by adolescents in Nigeria. What measures do you think will have to be done to integrate it into the health care service delivery?

There are many developments in program delivery and research for PrEP. Please tune into our upcoming webinar on PrEP. (Team)

The slides note that in Eswatini, HIV testing is general population was at 37.8%. What are the reasons for this low rate and are there any initiatives or steps being taken to address it?

The reason for the low HIV testing is attributed to issues of disclosure, stigma and discrimination if one is HIV positive. One of the biggest challenges is to increase the number of men testing; a new strategy for this currently in use for all health care facilities in the country is known as SURGE. It has four prongs namely:                   

• Intensified case finding.
• Linkages to care.
• Retention on treatment.
• Prevention i.e. PrEP, VMMC, PEP.

In my facility we have also recently opened a men’s clinic, which was initially for voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) supported by an organization called CHAPS; we are in the process of turning it into a one-stop shop for all men with broader services.

Lastly, we have started using index testing (contact tracing), which is successful but the struggle is to actually bring those indexed contacts to the facilities for testing. Just to note, minors depend on their parents to do an HIV test or to seek any health service so if not brought in by the parent, that child cannot access health services. (Futhie)

In the slides on Eswatini, 97% of pregnant women know their HIV status but there is a high incidence rate of HIV transmission from mother to child. What are some of the causes of this?

This is a huge challenge. Men are not involved in antenatal care as it is perceived by many to be culturally unacceptable. Another contributory factor is poor socioeconomic status, which affects the appropriate methods of infant feeding. Mothers tend to resort to mixed feeding newborns instead of exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life. Many are not able to keep the clinic appointments for retesting their babies and refilling their ART because they do not have money for transport to the clinic. Hence, we have either or both seroconverting. We still do have women who do not attend antenatal care at all but only come into contact with a health provider during labor and delivery. It continues to be important for us to strengthen our health education and outreaches in collaboration with the communities. (Futhie)

Will you be sending out the programme for the [PATA] summit? How do we engage in this meeting?

Please follow Team PATA on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for updates and content throughout the summit. All presentations, photographs and a summit report will be shared following the summit on the PATA website. Please also stay tuned for live webinars on each day of the summit. (Team)