Hiv Voluntary Counseling and Testing

Cyber-VCT course The 2010 UN back up report on the global AIDS pestilent states that based on the 2009 data, 33. 3 one million million people are living with human immunodeficiency virus ecumenical and Sub-Saharan Africa makes up 68% of the global total with 22. 5 million people living with human immunodeficiency virus. 1 In an effort to portion out this epidemic, leadful discuss and exam (VCT) planmes have been implemented in many of coarse and remote areas. VCT serves as the admission to human immunodeficiency virus prevention, treatment, care and support by allowing people to learn their HIV status.According to dry land wellness Organization (WHO), familiarity of ones HIV status benefits the individuals, community, and population through cognizance and education. 2 Therefore, there have been great efforts to expand VCT run since inception all over 20 years ago. Unfortunately, global participation remains low, specially in the remote areas. 3 Studies show that there are mingled reasons why people do not recruit. Some of the main reasons are stigma, lack of awareness, lack of entry, make up of the test, and test-related fears. Several VCT models have been implemented to acknowledgment these repairs but search suggests that further work requirements to be done. organic wellness Response (OHR) has piloted an innovative Cyber-VCT Program in Mfangano Island by development technology to attract residents to infix. The Cyber-VCT Program uses entry to solar-powered internet as an fillip to attract people to do HIV interrogatory. The people who participate ferment part of the Post-Test Club and have free access to the labs in the Cyber-VCT induction called Ekialo Kiona Center (EKC).The facility has confidential VCT rooms, solar-powered computer lab with satellite Internet, receiving set studio, seminar rooms, and an Global report UNAIDS report on the global AIDS epidemic 2010 (UNAIDS, 2010 http//www. unaids. org/globalreport/docum ents/20101123_GlobalReport_full_en. pdf). 2 World health Organization, Scaling-up HIV exam and discuss services a toolkit for course of studymeme managers. (WHO Press, 2005 http//www. who. nt/hiv/pub/vct/counsellingtestingtoolkit. pdf) 3 Information from World Health Organization on HIV testing and counselling accessed whitethorn 4, 2011 http//www. who. int/hiv/topics/vct/en/ 4 Joseph K. B. Matovu and Frederick E. Makumbi, Expanding access to voluntary HIV counselling and testing in sub-Saharan Africa alternative approaches for improving uptake, 20012007, Tropical euphony and external Health, 122 (November 2007), pp. 1315-1322. Page 1 of 6 1 Cyber-VCT Program open-air amphitheater.The platform leave behinds access to the only internet / program library facility on the island and according to OHR, needs assessment and ethnographic research have shown that residents are enthusiastic about having access to technology, which suggest the capableness for program hard-hittingne ss. 5 There is a bi-annual membership renewal regale where residents need to do individualized VCT session with a counselor from the International Medical Corps. This renewal process will provide the structure for more than(prenominal) longitudinal effects.The ultimate goal of Cyber-VCT Program is to encourage voluntary counsellor and testing, facilitate the process of referrals to Ministry of Health and FACES treatment programs, connect those who are HIV positive with topical anaestheticly formed psycho-social support, and improve dissemination of HIV education. It is more nationwide and effective than community stand-alone VCT centers, mobile VCT, Routine liberty chit of VCT or better known as provider-initiated HIV testing and counseling (PITC), and central office-based VCT. These other VCT models have increased uptake but they have limitations that the Cyber-VCT program helps address.Stand-alone VCT centers values client initiation people have to travel and access the services on their own but the stigma associated with it is a broad barrier that limits people from utilizing the services at the centers. The mobile VCT provides services with a mobile team traveling to communities in a van render with HIV-testing facilities. It addresses the issue of appeal and accessibility but stigma and fears related to testing were not addressed. 6 PITC has proven to be effective in increase participation through recommendations by providers to those attending health facilities.These patients are provided with the favorions to opt out but there were ethical concerns as to whether testing was real voluntary because providers were not broodently counseling the patients Information from Organic Health Response website http//organichealthresponse. org/cyber-vct-pilot. Jan Ostermann et al. , Who tests, who doesnt, and why? Uptake of mobile HIV counseling and testing in the Kilimanjaro Region of Tanzania, PLoS One 61 (January 2011) e16488. 6 5 Page 2 of 6 Cyber -VCT Program 7 thoroughly.Home-based VCT provides services at residents homes which addresses accessibility and price concerns, in addition to eliminates the stigma resulting from being seen at a testing site, but it does not eliminate peoples fear of being stigmatized and rejected by their own family members. 8 The Cyber-VCT program is superior to these models because it helps to eliminate the stigma attached to getting HIV testing, ensures confidentiality, provide proper education, and focuses on sustainability through micro-clinic networks. The Cyber-VCT program has been pilot tested in Mfangano Island in Suba District Lake Victoria (West Kenya).OHRs vision is to implement an effective comprehensive model starting with Mfangano Island and expanding it to the entire Lake Victoria through micro-clinic networks in hopes that the model can be implemented in other unsophisticated impoverished areas to continue fighting the HIV/AIDS epidemic worldwide. Mfangano Island is the counten ance pilot site because it has a population of 19,000 people with an estimate of over 30% local anesthetic prevalence of HIV/AIDS. One of the major threats of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the island is the possible extinction of the indigenous Suba terminology and way of life.In addition, the neglected people of the island face various health, economic, political, environmental, and social issues. The island has no electricity and there is one road that circles the base of the island. The primary occupancy is fishing and subsistence tillage. The impoverished people rely on the Nile perch storage that has been the source of many other issues. The industrial Nile perch export piscary has resulted in unsafe fish-for-sex practices and natural resource depletion. The Nile perch stock has also caused interstate resource conflicts betwixt Kenya and Uganda.Even worse is that Mercy K. Njeru et al. , Practicing provider-initiated HIV testing in high prevalence settings Consent concerns an d missed preventive opportunities, BMC Health Services Research, 1187 (April 2011) http//www. biomedcentral. com/1472-6963/11/87. 8 Edgar M. Mulogo et al. , Facility and home based HIV Counseling and Testing a comparative abbreviation of uptake of services by rural communities in southwestern Uganda, BMC Health Services Research, 1154 (March 2011) http//www. iomedcentral. com/1472-6963/11/54. Page 3 of 6 7 Cyber-VCT Program overfishing and the environmental issues are endangering the existence of the Nile perch stock. Overpopulation, deforestation, and unsustainable farming practices are the cause of these environmental issues. 9 OHR is taking a comprehensive multi-step approach starting with the Cyber-VCT program to address the complex interconnected issues eating into the HIV/AIDS problem. OHR plans to sustain the program by building a local infrastructure with micro-clinic networks that empowers the communities.The Cyber-VCT program is the first layer that serves as the gateway to these networks. The networks are formed to encourage people to support each other in an organic way and make the program attractive to residents. kindle participants will go through a five-week social solidarity program to adjoin education and dressing on tools to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The workshops will take place at EKC. The goal is for the program participants to provide invariable support to their communities in micro-clinic teams of 5-25 people.In this way, an infrastructure is established for future innovation, such as organic farm plots, composting bio-gas latrines, solar cooking ovens, youth radio, and other sustainable projects, to occur. Most importantly, the infrastructure empowers local communities rather than merely looking western. The documentary is to develop a mutually beneficial connection between the local community-based organizations and the international health governance systems rather than having the impoverished rural communities seem onl y on international assistance.Global scalability will depend on proving the intensity level of the comprehensive model because the model required a great bar of resources. Obtaining support and acquiring funding from various entities will be crucial. The cost of building the center (sustainable ferro Ripples of Dispute Surround Tiny Island in eastern Africa, New York Times, August 16, 2009 (http//www. nytimes. com/2009/08/17/world/africa/17victoria. html). Page 4 of 6 9 Cyber-VCT Program ement design), research, program design, curriculum development, program staffing, implementation (community mobilization, training workshops) is estimated to be $339,000. This amount does not include the cost of land because it was donated by a community leader so the estimated cost for implementation at other areas may be higher. In addition, the $339,000 includes mostly upfront cost and further detailing of maintenance cost will need to be considered. Some of the maintenance cost will be rela ted to proficient equipment or systems, security, and infrastructure sustainability.A comparative study is necessary to show improvements in VCT uptake and HIV prevention, treatment, care and support, to attract funding for implementation in other remote impoverish areas that are affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Furthermore, each workshop within the solidarity program will need to be closely evaluated to make improvements or eliminate any unable training and education. Beyond funding, the mutual beneficial relationship between the local communities and international organizations will also play an important role in scalability for resource stability.Strong local ownership of the program will also be invaluable. The networks will likely serve to engage residents organically because the micro-teams will consist of residents neighbors, friends, family members. Perhaps, to further encourage local ownership and stabilize the infrastructure, it may be effective to consider creating jo bs for local residents to maintain the EKC and microclinics networks. Another layer to the program can be to train local residents to take on positions that may be initially be filled by international partners.OHRs Cyber-VCT program strives to provide an innovation solution to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic in remote impoverished areas by using technology. The program is more innovative than other VCT models in that people are incentivized to participate and become part of a network that is intended to build itself in an organic way. Furthermore, Cyber-VCT Page 5 of 6 Cyber-VCT Program program uses access to technology as cover and ensures confidentiality to address the peoples concern of being stigmatized, which is on the top of list of the many reasons why VCT participate rate remains low.Another way the program is more innovative is that it has a high chance of sustainability because of OHRs focus on building a local infrastructure. The added benefit of establishing a local infras tructure is that it allows for further innovations to address other social, environmental, economic, political issues that are connected to the HIV/AIDS problem. In regards to scalability, securing funding by proving the effectiveness of the program, maintaining the mutually beneficial relationship between the local and nternational organizations, encouraging strong local empowerment, and other considerations such as creating local job opportunities for residents can help drive down cost and make the program scalable. As detailed in this paper, OHRs Cyber-VCT program incorporated in the comprehensive model meets the five Tech face evaluation criteria outlined on their website10 and is a great candidate for the award. 10 The Tech Awards Criteria http//www. techawards. thetech. org/nominate/criteria/. Page 6 of 6