Improving PMTCT Coverage and Access in Communities with Unmet Needs in Jos, Nigeria by Adopting Task Shifting and Task Sharing Strategies

Abstract

Towards achieving an AIDS-free generation, UNAIDS set the 90-90-90 target aiming at 90% of HIV positive persons knowing their status, 90% of positives receive sustained antiretroviral drugs and 90% of those receiving ARVs attain virologic suppression by 2020. The attainment are dependent on continual access, quality care and treatment retention, so efforts must address context specific barriers to accessing services. The ethnoreligious conflicts in Jos created barriers to accessing HIV/PMTCT services, even when treatment sites existed around the metropolis. Fifteen communities lacked comprehensive HIV services and residents could not access treatment facilities because of security challenges. A specialized strategy using community oriented resource persons (CORPs) and task shifting task sharing (TSTS) principles conceptualized by stakeholders was utilized to bridge personnel gaps and scale-up PMTCT. The HIV Lead Implementing Partner supported a faith based community organization to identify and scale-up PMTCT into 28 hospitals in 15 communities. Training and task devolution to Community Health workers (CHWs), expert patients and Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) was utilized. The facilities were networked for service delivery, referrals, supervision and commodity logistics. HIV testing was provided to pregnant women during ANC, labour and postnatal, and their children and spouses. All 28 facilities offered HCT and provided ARVs to those testing positive in labour, women testing positive during ANC were managed/referred to 8 PMTCT sites for evaluation and ARV commencement according to Nigerian HIV Guidelines. Infants received Nevirapine, early infant diagnosis and Cotrimoxazole. HIV positive children and non-pregnant adults were referred to three ART sites for evaluation and treatment. The twenty-eight facilities were activated for HCT/PMTCT/ART using MNCH structures and CHEWs, TBAs and PLHIV expert patients provided care, support and tracking. After the six-month pilot, of 3,293 women receiving ANC, 3,094 (93.9%) accepted HCT and received same-day results. Thirty-four tested positive, but 15 previously knew their status and on ARVs, but had challenges accessing care, while 17 of 19 newly diagnosed women commenced ARVs while 2 defaulters are being tracked. Five HIV exposed babies delivered received Nevirapine and cotrimoxazole, four were tested HIV-negative. Also 7193 adults and 23 children received HCT and results, 69 positive adults and 2 positive children enrolled care, among who 33 adults and 2 children commenced ARVs. PMTCT diagnostics must identify specific barriers communities experience and implement multipronged context specific scale-up efforts to improve access/uptake to eliminate Paediatric HIV infections. CORPs and TSTS strategies are critical to improve service-delivery and retention in care.