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Master of Public Health

Returning HIV-1 viral load results to participant-selected health facilities in national Population-based HIV Impact Assessment (PHIA) household surveys in three sub-Saharan African Countries, 2015 to 2016.

AUTHORS

Saito S , Duong YT , Metz M , Lee K , Patel H , Sleeman K , Manjengwa J , Ogollah FM , Kasongo W , Mitchell R , Mugurungi O , Chimbwandira F , Moyo C , Maliwa V , Mtengo H , Nkumbula T , Ndongmo CB , Vere NS , Chipungu G , Parekh BS , Justman J , Voetsch AC , . Journal of the International AIDS Society. 2017 12 1; 20 Suppl 7().

ABSTRACT

Logistical complexities of returning laboratory test results to participants have precluded most population-based HIV surveys conducted in sub-Saharan Africa from doing so. For HIV positive participants, this presents a missed opportunity for engagement into clinical care and improvement in health outcomes. The Population-based HIV Impact Assessment (PHIA) surveys, which measure HIV incidence and the prevalence of viral load (VL) suppression in selected African countries, are returning VL results to health facilities specified by each HIV positive participant within eight weeks of collection. We describe the performance of the specimen and data management systems used to return VL results to PHIA participants in Zimbabwe, Malawi and Zambia.

Logistical complexities of returning laboratory test results to participants have precluded most population-based HIV surveys conducted in sub-Saharan Africa from doing so. For HIV positive participants, this presents a missed opportunity for engagement into clinical care and improvement in health outcomes. The Population-based HIV Impact Assessment (PHIA) surveys, which measure HIV incidence and the prevalence of viral load (VL) suppression in selected African countries, are returning VL results to health facilities specified by each HIV positive participant within eight weeks of collection. We describe the performance of the specimen and data management systems used to return VL results to PHIA participants in Zimbabwe, Malawi and Zambia.

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