WHO, UNAIDS push for community-based HIV testing

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) have sought the scaling up of HIV testing to end the AIDS epidemic in Asia-Pacific.

The WHO and UNAIDS said research has long shown that anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs reduce AIDS-related deaths and prevent HIV transmission. These benefits, however, only occur if individuals know their status and start treatment early.

“Early HIV diagnosis through different HIV testing approaches has become an important strategy for HIV prevention and control in the 21st century,” said WHO Regional Director for Western Pacific Shin Young-soo.

“Moreover, people diagnosed with HIV should be linked to care and start treatment as early as possible to harness the benefits of antiretroviral treatment,” he noted.

Across the region, knowledge about HIV testing and counseling among key populations is low. Key populations are at higher risk for HIV, which include men who have sex with men, transgenders, sex workers and people who use drugs. Only one-third of the risk groups knew their HIV status in 2013.

Ten national HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infection ( STI) programs, civil society and development partners in the region have joined forces to ensure that everyone living with HIV knows his status and is able to access HIV treatment.

This push for expanded HIV testing coverage came during a two-day meeting organized by the WHO- Western Pacific Region Office and UNAIDS in Manila recently.

The United Nations and its partners have embarked on a fast-track strategy to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030.

To reach this goal, it is vital to use the next five years as a window of opportunity to ensure that 90 percent of people living with HIV know their status, have access to treatment and have suppressed viral load.

According to Steve Kraus, UNAIDS director for regional support team for Asia and the Pacific, “HIV testing lies at the foundation of the region’s response to HIV. Only if people know their status can we reach our global goal of ending the AIDS epidemic as a public health threat in the region.”

To expand HIV testing, national HIV/AIDS and STI managers from priority Asian and Pacific island countries and partners have agreed on diversified approaches to encourage testing at both formal and community-based services.

Hospitals, clinics and other health facilities need to offer more voluntary HIV testing and counselling during routine check-ups, including antenatal visits. Voluntary testing of intimate partners of people living with HIV should also be included.

The statement shows that many key populations shy away from undergoing initial HIV testing at health facilities, but would agree to communitybased testing which they find less stigmatizing.

Community-based testing models include having one rapid HIV screening test done by a peer supporter in a familiar environment. If the initial test result is positive, a follow-up confirmatory test in a health facility is indicated. This approach has been pioneered in Cambodia, where entertainment workers and other key populations are offered tests at work or in other easy-access settings.