#ICYMI: MSF's 'Welcome Back' service shows the potential for facilities to adapt existing resources and staff attitudes to be more responsive and friendly towards #HIV patients' needs and the burgeoning trend of disengagement from treatment. #SAAIDS2019
Adherence support: Lay counsellors are vital for HIV testing and counselling in clinics and keeping people on treatment. Giving people options to collect their treatment were very popular with patients. Today 56% of eligible patients collect their treatment outside the clinic.
Door-to-door testing: The Community Health Agents covered vast distances to bring #HIV testing services to people's homes, raising awareness on HIV and building trust. Door-to-door testing also costs less than clinic testing.
An MSF poster presentation at #SAAIDS2019 shows that addressing advanced #HIV in KwaZulu-Natal requires implementation of male-friendly services. Men were found to avoid seeking medical assitance, making them more likely to develop Advanced HIV. https://t.co/fR26dpUiqp
Our content for @AviroHealth@MSF_HIV KHETHA app playing in the background at #saaids2019 earlier this week! More info on the app here: https://t.co/9GIz1qnSSa
MSF's stall at #SAAIDS2019 promoting MSF and @AviroHealth's new digital #HIV counselling app, KHETHA, designed with youth for youth. Find out more here: https://t.co/P8at3GLLiV
#ICYMI: In Khayelitsha, SA MSF found that reducing the number of visits required to refill #HIV patients #ART supplies, could help decongest health facilities, reduce workload of health staff, and allow patients to get on with their day-to-day lives. https://t.co/fR26dpUiqp
POSTER: Increased antiretroviral treatment has seen greater numbers of #HIV patients with virological failure (VF). An MSF study looked at rates and factors associated with #VF, and switch to second-line #ART. https://t.co/fR26dpUiqp
POSTER:An MSF study on Advanced #HIV in KZN in those presenting with <200CD4 between 2008-2018 shows it is increasingly represented by those who are ART-experienced with a history of care disengagement or likely virological failure. https://t.co/fR26dpUiqp #SAAIDS2019
“A welcoming approach underpins the whole Welcome Back model; we normalize and acknowledge people’s struggles with treatment, we give support and empower them. But we need to take care of staff too, prevent burnout,” MSF’s Thembisa Makaleni-Leteze #SAAIDS2019#HIVfatigue
“In Khayelitsha, like the rest of South Africa, disengagement from HIV treatment is a real issue; 46% of the longterm HIV patients had disengaged from treatment by 2014. It’s normal to struggle,” MSF’s Sr Thembisa Makalene-Leteze who runs our Welcome Back Service #SAAIDS2019
“If PrEP is seasonal, why are we STILL talking about six month retention in care? We urgently need longer-acting PrEP formulations!” MSF’s Nelisiwe Ntuli, who leads our PrEP Diva’s Programme in Khayelitsha, South Africa #SAAIDS2019#hivprevention#prepdivas#prep
MSF's Sister Thembisa Makeleni-Leteze presents the results of the Welcome Back Services study at #SAAIDS2019. Welcome Back Services aimed to bring dis-engaged patients back onto ART in Khayelitsha, South Africa. See abstract: https://t.co/fR26dpCH1P
“In our PrEP study, high motivation or baseline characteristics of a ‘good attender’ were NOT a predictor of completing the 6 month period. When you go deeper into people’s stories, all faced challenges. Integrating PrEP is a continuous process,” MSF’s Nelisiwe Ntuli #SAAIDS2019