HIV TREATMENT
2020
Action 27. Mobilize their networks and work with communities to help build treatment literacy, generate demand, and expand access to ARVs among children.
Action 34. Increase efforts to share information on the roll-out of new paediatric formulations, including lessons learned.
Paediatric HIV & TB : Rome Action Plan
28. Equip, mobilize, and support faith leaders, FBOs, people in places of worship, and the wider community to create demand for testing of infants and children.
29. Combat stigma and discrimination among faith leaders and within communities of faith.
30. Further collaborate and coordinate community mobilization, education and outreach to find otherwise hard-to-reach children, adolescents, youth and adults for age appropriate prevention education, testing and linkage to treatment and health and social support services and integrate into the national system.
31. Ensure FBO participation in local and national diagnostic product/supplies forecasting.
32. Support and participate in national efforts to improve the use and impact of pediatric diagnostics and develop national strategies to optimize the use of new technologies and interventions.
33. Work to implement new HIVST modalities (such as oral fluid testing) in communities and homes, where national polices and regulations allow for lay implementation with children.
Commitment 28:
March 2022
Dissemination of messages of hope:
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Faith leaders and FCI Champions both receive airtime to disseminate the messages of hope. The FCI Champions further receive a living wage to support their activities distributing the HIVST kits as well as facilitating community dialogues, support groups and linking clients to appropriate
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Facebook: During the period October 2020 to September 2021, A reach of 8071 has been achieved on Facebook. This is a 25.8% increase compared to COP 19. Total Impressions of 52,014 have been earned In COP20 (the number of times any content from your Page)
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lnstagram: During the period October 2020 to September 2021, A reach of 1068 has been achieved on lnstagram. This Is a 42.6% increase compared to COP 19.
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Twitter: Total impressions cumulatively in COP 20 was 127 300.
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SMS: A Total of 5297 Text Messages have been sent through the Netone[felecel SMS platform.
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Other modes of distribution of massages: Messages were disseminated via WhatsApp 54,201 (29,774F 24,427M). sermons 892 (35F·857M), men's fellowship (129M), youth groups 22 (SF:17M), and community dialogues 165 (116F:49M).
Sexual Violence Against Children Prevention {SVAC}: ZACH utilized both traditional and social media in disseminating SVAC information. The 15-minute weekly radio programmes providing information related to sexual violence against children and SVAC trainings were distributed both online and offline. The radio programmes unpacked information related to sexual violence against children, responding to child sexual abuse and the importance of early reporting especia+ly<luring this COVID-19 pandemic.
Commitment 29:
March 2022
ZACH supported a number of radio programs and newpaper articles were used a medium to reach out to a wider congregation since the country was in lockdown and COVID-19 restrictions were being enforced. The media programs referred to the World Council of Churches Module on decreasing stigma and non-adherence related to Faith Healing.
Commitment 30:
March 2022
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ZACH engaged a theatrical group to produce an edutainment skit to address issues around ART Adherence and COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, Viral Load monitoring, TB preventive treatment (TPT) and COVID-19 Vaccines and PLHIV, Coaching Boys Into Men (CBIM}: CBIM is a model that target young boys with GBV information while playing soccer with the aim to mold responsible men that shuns GBV and able to protect females in their neighbors from GBV perpetrators'. CBIM coaches targeted children in smaller numbers as a way of observing the Covid 19 regulations especially during the first months of the quarter. They also conducted_ home visits to ensure that they cover all the boys in their respective groups and ensure they completed sessions. 1205 Boys were reached.
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A success story from treatment support services: Gloria (pseudo name) is 14-year-old girl who was born HIV positive and stays with her grandmother. Her parents separated when she was young and they both remarried. Gloria was referred to the Treatment Support Services Officer {TSSO) at Karanda Hospital when she had a viral load of 43700 copies/ml in December 2020. Counselling sessions were done with Gloria, and ft was noted that her grandmother was not providing support to her in terms of taking her medication and supervising her. She alluded that her grandmother would not allow her to use her phone to set an alarm that would remind her to take her medication. A home visit was initiated by the TSSO, and a visit was conducted together with a Peer Adherence and Retention facilitator (PARF) and Community Adolescence Treatment Supporters (CATS) to see the grandmother. A session was done, and she was encouraged to support her grandchild in taking her medication. The Gloria continued to receive support from the team. A second viral load was taken in April 2021 and the viral load had increased to 146000 copies/ml. ft was noted that Gloria had run away from her grandmother's home and a conclusion was drawn that she was not taking her medicine. A case conference was done which composed the TSSO, CATS, PARF, and doctor where the team agreed for direct observation treatment support. From the case conference. it was agreed that the PARF would visit Gloria's home every day in the morning to ensure that she took her medication. Through continuous engagement and encouragements, Gloria's grandmother also started cooperating in assisting her and an alarm was set on her phone. Gloria was also given a pill counter by ZACH to ensure that she did not miss her medication any day of the week. The PARF after spending six weeks going to Gloria's home in the morning, then resorted to calling her grandmother every day in the morning to ensure that the child took her medication. The PARF continued reviewing through direct observations. A third viral load sample was taken in September 2021 and Gloria's viral load was suppressed to 20 copies/ml and she was switched.
Commitment 31:
March 2022
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ZACH takes part in the quantification of diagnostics, supplies and medicines through participation in the Ministry of Health and Child Care National Technical Group for the procurement of HIV related commodities. ZACH employed a pharmacy Technician to support this role.
Commitment 32:
March 2022
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ZACH participates in the Ministry of Health and Child Care Paediatrics and Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV {PMTCT) technical working Groups.
Commitment 33:
March 2022
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ZACH established 6 community posts in the city of Harare to aid the case identification of HIV in men. Through the community posts, 4786 HIVST kits have so far been distributed and 99% {n=4751) have shared their test results. The average reactivity rate for the HIVST is 14%. The proportion of those who had their reactive results confirmed at the community posts is 97% and is largely attributable to the walk strategy (The community HIVS distributor will be accompanied to the community post) . Of those who presented for confirmation, 97% were confirmed as HIV positive. The 3% who tested negative were counseled and managed (and retested) as per the national guideline. Linkage to ART is at 98% with those initiated being deferred due to clinical reasons, lost to follow or dying before ART initiation. Follow up is ongoing though different modalities such as SMSs, phone calls and home/workplace visits by FCI Champions to facilitate linkage for those eligible to start ART.
52. Ensure FBO participation in local and national forecasting of optimal paediatric drug formulations.
53. Collaborate with GAP-f partners to develop, test, and disseminate training tools for treatment initiation with LPV/r and other optimal pediatric formulations.
54. Support and increase family treatment initiation and retention for children, adolescents, and families by:
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Increasing identification and provision of same-day/same-appointment mother/infant pair treatment through FBO clinics;
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Promoting male/father engagement in EMTCT programmes; and
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Increasing stigma reduction interventions through mobilized faith leaders and faith communities
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Providing social work interventions to assist fathers to support treatment and adherence of their partners and children living with HIV.
55. Foster and more actively participate in coordinated and collaborative advocacy to:
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Increase funding for research & development, introduction and scale-up of priority pediatric drugs and formulations;
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Accelerate regulatory processes for rapid adoption and uptake of optimal paediatric drugs and formulations; and
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Ensure sustainable access to optimal testing and treatment for infants and children.
Commitment 52:
March 2022
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ZACH participates in the Ministry of Health and Child Care Paediatrics and Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT) technical Working Groups.
Commitment 53:
March 2022
ZACH participates in the Ministry of Health and Child Care Paediatrics and Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT) technical Working Groups
Commitment 54:
March 2022
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Through implementing HIV care, treatment and support activities ZACH implemented the young Mentor mother and father programme targeting adolescents and young people living with HIV
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ZACH has employed 4 social workers to support HIV services induding social support for mothers in the PMTCT program, men participation in PMTCT and care for children living with HIV.
Commitment 55:
March 2022
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The country is currently rolling out paediatric OTG. One of the ZACH member institution - St Luke's' Mission Hospital in Lupane is participation in the pilot project. A core of ZACH staff was also trained by the Ministry oh Health as Trainer of Trainer in anticipation of the rapid roll out once enough stocks of pDTG are adequate.