Vers Une Génération Sans SIDA Vol. 002, Issue 011 NOVE MBER 2018 HIGHLIGHT OF MONTHLY ACTIVITIES 1 PRODUCTION TEAM HIV-FREE BIA KU SU MAGAZINE A monthly publication of the HIV-Free Project Team. Website www.cbchealthservices.org Email [email protected] Executive Editor Prof. Tih Pius Muffih Managing Editor Kuni Esther Editor in Chief Abanda Alphonse Tshimwanga K. Edouard Deputy Managing Editor Fri Delphine Ismaila Esa Associate Editors Akuchu Ngwe Williet Fotabong Nyachu Syntia Photo Editor/Design Akuchu Ngwe Williet Fotabong Nyachu Syntia 2 WELCOME PROJECT OBJECTIVES Objective 1: Increase the proportion of People Living with HIV (PLHIV) with known HIV status in the Center Region from 237,035 to 346,781 by March 31,2018. Objective 2: Increase the proportion of PLHIV who access ART from 70% to 85.9% in the Center Region by March 31,2018. Objective 3: Achieve 90% of all PLHIV on ART having viral load suppression from 80% ( 70% in children and 80% in adults) by March 31, 2018. Objective 4: Health System Strengthening and Governance. 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY he HIV CER team has continued to work tirelessly, to ensure targets are achieved through the varied strategies put in place to boost results for FY19 Q1. BIA KU SU 11 comes to show you T exactly at what level the different strategies have been implemented and how the team is pro- gressing. The month of November in the HIV-FREE CER project, was characterized by a series of meetings with a greater number of these meetings being orientation meetings for the newly employed 79 staff. For varied reasons, staff were employed at different levels to assist and support sites and some program areas. 5 new sites leads, 7 district mentor, 14 Data quality clerks, 28 finance Clerks and 23 Psychosocial workers were employed. A workshop on Men Strategies was equally organized during the month, with objective to share best prac- tices and consequently improve implementation of strategies that improves uptake of men in the HIV con- tinuum of care like the extended clinic hours, Male as Partner strategy, Men friendly clinics, etc. KP partners had their monthly meeting and was attended by KP partners from CHAMP, METABIOTA, HORRIZONE FEMME AND HUMANITY FIRST The month of November also saw to it that Index Testing was scaled up in TA site. 10 best performing TA sites were selected and onsite workshops were organized with them, to impact the team with the knowledge and skills necessary to carry out Index Testing at their facilities. With more to read on Viral Load, Supply chain, Voucher initiative and PMTCT, we encourage you to keep reading BIA KU SU and enjoy Edition 11. Happy Reading! 4 HIGHLIGHTS MEN STRATEGIES; IMPROVE HIV CASE FINDING AMONGST MEN three days’ peer exchange workshop vices with the focus on challenges related to with 6 sites implementing the Men strat- men’s engagement of PMTCT services while A egies was organized to analyze and find another group focused on challenges related to solutions to the various arising issues at their sites. men’s use of ART service, participants also The workshop had as objectives to share best prac- looked at what it means to be a male or female tices, brainstorm on the way forward and teach and how service providers can approach a man. participants to challenge the bias against engaging At the end of the meeting, participants attested men in HIV services at the facility level. This plat- to the fact that they were now well equipped to form was also used to Identify ways to improve the handle the challenges that may arise while quality of services for male clients. working with men. With an expected outcome to improve HIV case finding among men and meet the required target for the quarter, the workshop was characterized by a series of group-work sessions with different top- ics of discussion. These topics included; How to depict challenges related to men’s use of HTC ser- ****** 5 HIGHLIGHTS KP PARTNERS MONTHLY MEETING BRINGS GOOD NEWS n November 28, 2018, KP partners from was also noticed that contribution of positives CHAMP, METABIOTA, HORRIZON from index case testing increased progressively O FEMME and HUMANITY FIRST Held from 0% in Q1 to 18% in Q4 and it was thanks to their monthly routine meeting at CBCHS Resource the above mentioned strategy that they were able Center of Excellence, Mvan to understand the latest to strike a balance by the last quarter. trends of KP activities During the presentations made, CHAMP’s records indicated a significant gain in Q4 reaching a target of 70% HTS_TST_POS with a linkage to care of 94% as of 30th September. This result were at- tained through some, innovative strategies put in place like the Risk screening approach, index test- ******** ing and weekly targets to CBOs amongst others. It 6 HIGHLIGHTS NEW SITES BENEFIT FROM THE VOUCHER INNITIATIVE n a bid to assist more needy persons access erandi of the Voucher initiative and how it will health care in the Center Region, via the be implemented in their respective sites. Hence- I Voucher systems, TA sites in and out of forth, District Mentors will work with their Mfoundi were added to the list of sites to benefit Bikers and Finance Clerks to come up with an from the vouchers of viral load. action plan for the implementation, collection and transportation of VL samples To better harness this, management met with District Mentors, Finance Clerks and Bikers of these TA sites on November 27, 2018 to discuss on ******* the implementation of the voucher initiative and set some standard procedures that need to be followed in order to capture the right information and appropriate reporting for better output. A major fallout of the meeting was the fact that the Regional Delegate was mandated to address a circular letter to the selected TA sites. This is to make sure that the management of these selected TA sites is adequately informed on the modus op- 7 INDEX TESTING INDEX TESTING INTENSIFIED IN 10 TA SITES WITH CUP unning on the catch up plan launched in October by the principal Investigator, the R index testing team focused on intensify- ing Index testing at 10 high volume TA and one new DSD site while doing onsite trainings of ser- vice providers. They drilled service providers on how to handle a pre and post counseling session, run an HIV test and place a positive client on treat- ment. Emphasis was laid on newly diagnosed cli- ents who tested HIV positive or initiated ART in the last 12 months. The team equally ensured effec- The team also supported the implementation of IT tive and proper documentation of Index Case Test- from November 15 (testing of sexual partners and ing in the newly printed updated tools. biological siblings/parents. As a result, 327 clients A –two-session training brought together 99 partic- were tested with 27 identified positive and 21 initi- ipants from Ndikinimiki, Mfou, Bikop-Ngoumou, ated on ART giving a percentage yield of 9% Ayos, Akonolinga, and Nanga eboko Districts. ******** PMTCT MORE HEI WITH UNKNOWN OUTCOME IDENTIFIED IN CE REGION THROUGH CUP iven that 65% of HIV Exposed Infants place on the PMTCT Cohort Monitoring WhatsApp (HEI) born from Oct 2015 to Sept 2016 Group G had an unknown final outcome with a As a result 14% reduction was achieved as at No- general total 1777 in the supported sites of the Cen- vember 30th given that a total 1777 children with tre Region, a Catch Up Plan was launched with ob- unknown outcome reduced from 1777 children to jective to Reduce by 25% the number of infants 1405 as 372 children’s status were provided. without a final outcome by November 30th 2018 in Consequently, Health providers are now aware of the the region importance of the activity and reporting processes Line listing was done for all mothers of Exposed and PMTCT CM is being scaled up in all DSD Sites Infants with unknown Final Outcome born from Oct 2015 to Sept 2016. Communication credit was provided to call women and inquire the status of the child and a system Of daily data update was put in ****** 8 MALE AS PARTNERS MEN STARTEGIES CONTINUES YIELDING RESULTS Role play at workshop two sessions workshop with implement- The approaches used were targeted testing and ven- ing sites of men strategy activities were ue based testing using the multiple disease ap- A held on the 6-8 and 20-22 Nov. 2018 as proach. Groups targeted included, Mechanics, Bar- a means to better assess work done in the different bers, Soccer teams, Men coming to the hospital for sites. These sessions also served as a platform consultation or accompanying their sick ones and where World AIDS Day (WAD) CUP activities sexual partners of Female Sex Workers. This activ- were planned. It was from this backdrop that activi- ity started on November 19 in the respective sites. ties were organized in Jamot, HD Efoulan, EPC Djoungolo, CASS Nkoldongo with a target to test 1550 men with 80 positives. For the month of November, Male as Partners, Male friendly Clinics and extended hours of male friendly clinic tested 348 men and 9 tested positive. ******* 7 were initiated to care as there was one dead and an advanced TB/.HIV case. The CUP activities alone tested 468 men with 19 positives. 12 were ini- tiated to care as 7 others are yet to see the Doctor. 9 KEY POPULATIONS GOOD PERFORMANCE AND DOCUMENTATION; QUALITIES KP GROUPS STRIFE TO UPHOLD meeting held on November 1st 2018, The KP team visited CHUY, EPC Djoungolo, HD bringing together 23 focal points to Biyem Assi, Hopital Jamot, Croix Rouge, Hopital A share and experience, harmonization on Central, HD Efoulan, HD Cite Verte , EBHY and friendly services and evaluation of expected out- St Martin.