This qualitative rapid appraisal study from researchers at the South African Medical Research Council and partners explores how community cadres provide links to health facilities and supports HIV client support. The study maps the roles taken by the community cadres as well as challenges and opportunities.
CDC-Atlanta Maternal Child HIV Branch and International Lab Branch, in collaboration with partners, have developed tools to support health care workers and laboratorians to provide services to HIV-exposed infants, including infant virologic testing.
DBS Job Aids for the Laboratory: DBS receiving, storage, and acceptance criteria
Intended Audience:
Laboratorians who receive dried blood spot specimens.
Summary:
These are job aids that provide basic information for laboratorians about how to receive, process and store DBS specimens. These job aids apply to DBS specimens that are collected for EID, Viral load or drug resistance testing. They may be displayed on the wall in the laboratory for easy reference.
CDC-Atlanta Maternal Child HIV Branch and International Lab Branch, in collaboration with partners, have developed tools to support health care workers and laboratorians to provide services to HIV-exposed infants, including infant virologic testing.
DBS Job Aids for the Clinic: DBS collection, drying, and packaging
Intended audience:
Health care workers who collect specimens for EID on dried blood spots, dry and package specimens for transport.
Summary:
These are visual job aids that are a simplified version of the content provided in the EID video. They cover DBS collection, drying and packaging in the health clinic. They may be displayed on the wall in a health centre for easy reference.
CDC-Atlanta Maternal Child HIV Branch and International Lab Branch, in collaboration with partners, have developed tools to support health care workers and laboratorians to provide services to HIV-exposed infants, including infant virologic testing.
Care of the HIV-Exposed Infant Flipchart
Intended audience:
Health care workers or lay health workers who counsel the caregivers of HEIs.
Summary:
The purpose of this flipchart is to facilitate comprehensive, high quality counseling about the care needs of mothers and HIV-exposed infants to prevent vertical HIV transmission and improve infant health. The flipchart addresses the importance of maternal health and ART adherence, as well as care and testing for the HIV-exposed infant until the infant’s final HIV diagnosis after the end of breastfeeding.
This flipchart should be printed in large format (A3 or similar), spiral bound and laminated for durable use in health clinics. There are 12 counseling cards total – each card has one side with images for the mother/caregiver and the other side with notes for the counsellor.
Topics include: basics of vertical HIV transmission, maternal health during pregnancy and breastfeeding, safe delivery, infant testing, infant medications – cotrimoxazole and ARV prophylaxis, routine infant care -- growth monitoring and immunizations, infant feeding, family planning, signs of acute child illness, and planning for mother and infant follow up.
UNICEF Learning Collaborative,Summary of Selected Research Articles
January - March 2018
Key Considerations for Introducing New HIV Point-of-Care Diagnostic Technologies in National Health Systems, and the HIV Point-of-Care Diagnostics Toolkit
Key Considerations for Introducing New HIV Point-of-Care Diagnostic Technologies in National Health Systems, and the HIV Point-of-Care Diagnostics Toolkit
‘Walking in our shoes; Perspectives of pregnant and breastfeeding women living with HIV on access to and retention in care in Malawi, Uganda and Zambia’ highlights the key factors that facilitate retention in care for women living with HIV and calls for increased focus on rights and dignity in care.
The report, presents the findings of community-led research related to the viewpoints and experiences of women who were initiated on antiretroviral treatment during pregnancy or breastfeeding and explores their perspectives on factors that have enabled them to successfully adhere to their treatment and retain in care.