Society for Family Health launches HIV Self-Testing in Africa project

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Society for Family Health has collaboration with its partners today launched the HIV Self-Testing in Africa project, a four year project intended to boost access to HIV testing and its impact on the achievement of HIV prevention and treatment goals in Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Speaking during the launch in Lusaka today, SFH Executive Director Namwinga Chintu says they believe that by giving people the opportunity to test discreetly and conveniently, HIV self-testing may increase the uptake of HIV testing among people not reached by other HIV testing services, including many who have never taken a test.

Dr Chintu explains that the HIV-OraQuick HIV Self-Test involves the use of a simple oral fluid swab and will allow individuals to test themselves at a time and location convenient to them helping them to learn of their HIV status within minutes.

Speaking at the same occasion, project director Dr Karin Hatzold says the project will facilitate the distribution of nearly 750,000 HIV self-test kits across the three participating countries namely Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

She explains that the simple three step test to determine one’s status requires a swab of the lower and upper gum once followed by inserting the device in a vial containing a solution and within 20 – 40 minutes the results will be known.

And speaking when he launched the project, Health Minister Joseph Kasonde says minimizing the number of HIV-infected people in the country requires expanded coverage of HIV testing as well as increased testing frequency among those at greatest risk of infection.

Dr Kasonde says the launch of the launch of the HIV self –testing kit is timely especially in view of the new global efforts to attain the ‘90-90-90’ targets defined by UNAID.

Dr. Kasonde says self-testing is another step in providing more options for HIV-testing in communities, while addressing key barriers of accessing testing services.