Report on the external mid-term, formative evaluation of the Optimizing HIV Treatment Access (OHTA) for pregnant and breastfeeding women Initiative in Uganda, Malawi, Ivory Coast and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
PMTCT & Paediatric HIV/TB Lessons & Results from Using New WHO-UNICEF HIV-Adapted Community Materials
"Together We Can Improve"
A case study on joint community-facility review of PMTCT dashboards in Malawi
Greatly expanded access to routine viral load testing will be a game-changer in the global response to AIDS. Routine viral load tests improve treatment quality and individual health outcomes for people living with HIV, contribute to prevention, and potentially reduce resource needs for costly second- and third-line HIV medicines.
The AIDS movement, led by people living with and affected by HIV, continues to inspire the world and offer a model for a people-centred, rights-based approach to global health and social transformation. And yet, today, amid a swirl of competing and complex global concerns, we confront a serious new obstacle: the oppressive weight of complacency. This is happening when we know that if we make the right decisions and the right investments now, the end of AIDS can be within our grasp. This moment is, however, fleeting. We have a fragile window of opportunity—measured in months—in which to scale up.
This document was created by ICAP’s Clinical and Training Unit with valuable input from their teams in Swaziland, Mozambique, Kenya, and Cote d’Ivoire. It was developed as a template document to be adapted for use in various contexts and is one component of a viral load monitoring tool-kit, to be used in conjunction with ICAP’s Viral Load Monitoring Flipchart and Enhanced Adherence Treatment Plan. This area is evolving rapidly therefore it is expected that this document will require frequent updating over time, as recommendations change, and needs to be adapted according to local guidelines and context.
Humanitarian emergencies in countries with a high HIV disease burden can cause considerable PMTCT antiretroviral treatment (ART) interruption. The risk of drug resistance emerging is increased, efficacy of treatment compromised and the effective scale-up of lifelong ART for pregnant and breastfeeding women living with HIV is impeded. Therefore, strategies to ensure the uninterrupted supply of antiretrovirals for PMTCT during crises are needed. This paper highlights lessons learned from PMTCT implementation in emergencies based on reported literature, key informant interviews, and recommendations made. The review focuses on delivering ART for PMTCT.
A robust monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system is a key component of a strong health system. With the current WHO recommendation of lifelong ART for all pregnant and breastfeeding women living with HIV, outcomes (including maternal survival and final infant HIV status) require monitoring through longitudinal data systems complemented with regular cohort analyses and enhanced monitoring. Additionally, as we move toward the need for more strategic policies and programming to garner system and resource efficiencies, M&E systems need to be designed to be able to inform differences arising from age, sex, and geographic trends as well as identify weaknesses such as sub-optimal commodity supply and testing quality.
Monitoring of individuals on ART is important to ensure treatment efficacy and improved health outcomes. Updated WHO Consolidated ARV Guidelines will be available in December 2015 and include recommendations on routine monitoring and the diagnosis of treatment failure.
The 2016 High-Level Meeting on Ending AIDS will focus the world’s attention on the importance of a Fast-Track approach to the AIDS response over the next five years. The UNAIDS Fast-Track approach aims to achieve ambitious targets by 2020, including: