HIV Index Testing:
The USAID DISCOVER-
Health Project Experience
Kalasa Mwanda – MD, MPH, MBA
April 11, 2019
2|
Project Objectives
USAID DISCOVER-Health:
 USAID-funded 5 year project (December, 2015 to December, 2020)
Objective 1: High Quality, Integrated Health Services are
Used More by Target Groups
 Provide an integrated package of HIV, FP/RH, and MNCH services
 Services provided predominantly through outreach
 Operating in 138 sites from 11 hubs (operational bases)
Objective 2: Provision of Integrated Health Products and
Services is Sustainable
 Provide a range of socially marketed HIV, FP/RH, and MNCH products
 Pay attention to fostering commercial sector growth
FP/RHMNCH
HIVFamily
Planning
Cervical
Cancer
Screening
General OPD
Services
HTS
ART
PMTCT
PrEP
VMMC
Condoms &
Other Prev
Antenatal &
Postnatal
Services
Child
Immunization
Under-
five
Clinic
Services delivered
primarily through
Outreach
Target hard to
reach and
underserved
communities
Goal: contribute
to HIV epidemic
control
Integrated FP/RH,
MNCH and HIV
Service Package
138 service
delivery sites
country-wide
Goal: improve
general heath
outcomes
USAID DISCOVER-Health
Package of Services Provided at Every ART Site
4|
HIV Testing
Services
1. HIV Index Testing and Partner
Notification Services
2. Voluntary Counselling and Testing
(VCT)
3. Provider-Initiated Testing and
Counselling (PITC)
4. Antenatal Clinic (ANC)
5. Voluntary Medical Male
Circumcision (VMMC)
Key Testing
Modalities
5|
HIV Index Testing: Rationale
USAID DISCOVER-Health started
HIV index testing in November, 2017
Motivated by the several clinical trials
that revealed that HIV index Testing
and PNS have positivity yield of 35 -
62%
Against the backdrop of:
• Less than 300,000 in a population of
about 1.25m PLHIV and a total
population of 15m people
• Increased donor demands for more
efficient use of HIV test kits and other
consumables
• Huge Tx_New target of 80,000
6|
8,581
14,371
11,740
9,048
1,078
2,692 2,360
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
14000
16000
Accepted
indexing
Contacts elicited Contacts tested Contacts tested
NEG
Contacts known
HIV+
Contacts tested
POS
Contacts
initiated
Index Testing Cascade April 2018 - February 2019
88%
tested
23% tested
HIV+
88%
initiated
Index Testing Results
7|
HIV Index Testing Presents the Highest Positivity
Yield…
4%
1%
23%
5%
0.1%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
ANC PITC (FP) Indexing VCT VMMC
Testing Yield by Modality, April 2018 - February
2019
8|
Index Testing –
Does It Have a
Deeper Reach For
the Well Man?
ZAMPHIA 64% of men and
68% of women were tested
More males than females
contacted because index
clients are largely female
Male,
51%
Female,
49%
Proportion of People Tested Through
Indexing by Sex, April 2018 - February
2019
9|
HIV Index Testing
Yield: Is There a
Difference in
Positivity Among
Males vs.
Females?
Positivity among females is
much higher than among
males
Male…Female,
53%
Proportion of Newly Identified HIV+
Through Indexing by Sex, April 2018 -
February 2019
10|
HIV Index
Testing -
Yield and
Linkage By
Age –
What
Lessons
Can We
Draw?
Morechildren
contactedbut
positivitymuchhigher
amongadults
4,159 4,075
8,234
255
1,665
1,920
190
1,384
1,5746%
41%
23%
75%
83%
82%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
0
3,000
6,000
9,000
< 15 years ≥ 15 years Total
Contacts tested Contacts tested HIV+
Contacts initiated Yield
Linkage
11|
Linkage to
ART After
HIV Index
Testing
Higherlinkagerates
amongfemales
comparedtomales
88%
83%
86% 86% 87%85% 86%
91% 90% 92%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
≤ 14 yrs. 15-24 yrs. 25-34 yrs. 35-44 yrs. ≥ 45 yrs.
Linkage Yield Rate by Age and Sex, April
2018 - February 2019
Male Female
12|
Evidence of
Increased
Index Testing
Volumes From
Programmatic
Adjustments –
More Effective
Model Now
Implemented
2728
3151 3106
4132
672 635 759 939
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
Apr-Jun 2018 Jul-Sept 2018Oct-Dec 2018Jan-Mar 2019
(projected)
Index Contacts Tested and Tested HIV+
by Quarter, 2018-2019
Contacts tested Contacts tested HIV+
13|
Model Envisioned
to Up HIV Index
Testing’s
Contribution
Towards the Total
Tested
Poisedtoregistersignificant
improvementstowards40%
contributionfromindex
testing amongall testing
modalities
6985 6646 5969
3902
672 635 759
626
8.8% 8.7%
11.3%
13.8%
0.0%
5.0%
10.0%
15.0%
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
Apr-Jun
2018
Jul-Sept
2018
Oct-Dec
2018
Jan-Feb
2019
Proportion of HIV+ New Clients
Identified Through Indexing by
Quarter, 2018-2019
New HIV+ from indexing
New HIV+ from all other modalities
14|
Key Programmatic Lessons Learned
1. Building adequate capacity among HCWs and counselors
in HIV Index testing is an imperative – Trained over 825 HCWs and
CHWs in HIV index testing
2. Continued mentorship and support – Team of senior/middle
program management staff to provide guidance and monitor implementation
including during deep dive data review meetings
3. The working model need not be static – Should be dynamic and
allow for changes to help attain programmatic detects - Getting the project closer
to the much desired 40% contribution for HIV index testing among all modalities
4. HIV Index Testing has potential to help extend HIV testing
services to the “well” man – This is among the very few modalities where
more males are tested compared to females

HIV Index Testing: The USAID DISCOVER-Health Project Experience in Zambia

  • 1.
    HIV Index Testing: TheUSAID DISCOVER- Health Project Experience Kalasa Mwanda – MD, MPH, MBA April 11, 2019
  • 2.
    2| Project Objectives USAID DISCOVER-Health: USAID-funded 5 year project (December, 2015 to December, 2020) Objective 1: High Quality, Integrated Health Services are Used More by Target Groups  Provide an integrated package of HIV, FP/RH, and MNCH services  Services provided predominantly through outreach  Operating in 138 sites from 11 hubs (operational bases) Objective 2: Provision of Integrated Health Products and Services is Sustainable  Provide a range of socially marketed HIV, FP/RH, and MNCH products  Pay attention to fostering commercial sector growth
  • 3.
    FP/RHMNCH HIVFamily Planning Cervical Cancer Screening General OPD Services HTS ART PMTCT PrEP VMMC Condoms & OtherPrev Antenatal & Postnatal Services Child Immunization Under- five Clinic Services delivered primarily through Outreach Target hard to reach and underserved communities Goal: contribute to HIV epidemic control Integrated FP/RH, MNCH and HIV Service Package 138 service delivery sites country-wide Goal: improve general heath outcomes USAID DISCOVER-Health Package of Services Provided at Every ART Site
  • 4.
    4| HIV Testing Services 1. HIVIndex Testing and Partner Notification Services 2. Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) 3. Provider-Initiated Testing and Counselling (PITC) 4. Antenatal Clinic (ANC) 5. Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision (VMMC) Key Testing Modalities
  • 5.
    5| HIV Index Testing:Rationale USAID DISCOVER-Health started HIV index testing in November, 2017 Motivated by the several clinical trials that revealed that HIV index Testing and PNS have positivity yield of 35 - 62% Against the backdrop of: • Less than 300,000 in a population of about 1.25m PLHIV and a total population of 15m people • Increased donor demands for more efficient use of HIV test kits and other consumables • Huge Tx_New target of 80,000
  • 6.
    6| 8,581 14,371 11,740 9,048 1,078 2,692 2,360 0 2000 4000 6000 8000 10000 12000 14000 16000 Accepted indexing Contacts elicitedContacts tested Contacts tested NEG Contacts known HIV+ Contacts tested POS Contacts initiated Index Testing Cascade April 2018 - February 2019 88% tested 23% tested HIV+ 88% initiated Index Testing Results
  • 7.
    7| HIV Index TestingPresents the Highest Positivity Yield… 4% 1% 23% 5% 0.1% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% ANC PITC (FP) Indexing VCT VMMC Testing Yield by Modality, April 2018 - February 2019
  • 8.
    8| Index Testing – DoesIt Have a Deeper Reach For the Well Man? ZAMPHIA 64% of men and 68% of women were tested More males than females contacted because index clients are largely female Male, 51% Female, 49% Proportion of People Tested Through Indexing by Sex, April 2018 - February 2019
  • 9.
    9| HIV Index Testing Yield:Is There a Difference in Positivity Among Males vs. Females? Positivity among females is much higher than among males Male…Female, 53% Proportion of Newly Identified HIV+ Through Indexing by Sex, April 2018 - February 2019
  • 10.
    10| HIV Index Testing - Yieldand Linkage By Age – What Lessons Can We Draw? Morechildren contactedbut positivitymuchhigher amongadults 4,159 4,075 8,234 255 1,665 1,920 190 1,384 1,5746% 41% 23% 75% 83% 82% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100% 0 3,000 6,000 9,000 < 15 years ≥ 15 years Total Contacts tested Contacts tested HIV+ Contacts initiated Yield Linkage
  • 11.
    11| Linkage to ART After HIVIndex Testing Higherlinkagerates amongfemales comparedtomales 88% 83% 86% 86% 87%85% 86% 91% 90% 92% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100% ≤ 14 yrs. 15-24 yrs. 25-34 yrs. 35-44 yrs. ≥ 45 yrs. Linkage Yield Rate by Age and Sex, April 2018 - February 2019 Male Female
  • 12.
    12| Evidence of Increased Index Testing VolumesFrom Programmatic Adjustments – More Effective Model Now Implemented 2728 3151 3106 4132 672 635 759 939 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000 4500 Apr-Jun 2018 Jul-Sept 2018Oct-Dec 2018Jan-Mar 2019 (projected) Index Contacts Tested and Tested HIV+ by Quarter, 2018-2019 Contacts tested Contacts tested HIV+
  • 13.
    13| Model Envisioned to UpHIV Index Testing’s Contribution Towards the Total Tested Poisedtoregistersignificant improvementstowards40% contributionfromindex testing amongall testing modalities 6985 6646 5969 3902 672 635 759 626 8.8% 8.7% 11.3% 13.8% 0.0% 5.0% 10.0% 15.0% 0 2000 4000 6000 8000 10000 Apr-Jun 2018 Jul-Sept 2018 Oct-Dec 2018 Jan-Feb 2019 Proportion of HIV+ New Clients Identified Through Indexing by Quarter, 2018-2019 New HIV+ from indexing New HIV+ from all other modalities
  • 14.
    14| Key Programmatic LessonsLearned 1. Building adequate capacity among HCWs and counselors in HIV Index testing is an imperative – Trained over 825 HCWs and CHWs in HIV index testing 2. Continued mentorship and support – Team of senior/middle program management staff to provide guidance and monitor implementation including during deep dive data review meetings 3. The working model need not be static – Should be dynamic and allow for changes to help attain programmatic detects - Getting the project closer to the much desired 40% contribution for HIV index testing among all modalities 4. HIV Index Testing has potential to help extend HIV testing services to the “well” man – This is among the very few modalities where more males are tested compared to females

Editor's Notes

  • #15  Speak to failures the project has experienced over the past year and how you responded