The theme of World AIDS Day 2010 is "Universal Access and Equal Rights" in line with the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals, as well as the United Nations General Assembly's Special Session on universal access to comprehensive HIV prevention, treatment and care and support by 2015.
The efforts of Crown Agents USA, Inc., University Research Corporation, LLC, and Vision for Africa consortium alongside other US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) programmes within the Enugu state of Nigeria are already yielding results due to community targeted campaigns to activate interventions in rural areas as HIV prevalence rates decline.
Crown Agents USA is working as a sub-grantee for the HIV Comprehensive Care Initiative (HCCI) programme, a PEPFAR funded project working through the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, which focuses on providing HIV/AIDS services in Enugu's rural and underserved areas.
The programme is improving the testing strategies for HIV, STIs and general universal precautions, with Crown Agents bringing expertise in both laboratory infrastructure improvement and health commodity logistics.
The project team has strengthened the linkages between the state health authorities and local facilities to extend the reach of services in underserved areas and improved referral systems to ensure closer integration of HIV/AIDS services with primary healthcare trusts in both public and private health facilities. Additionally new community workers have been trained to provide palliative care and counselling.
The Crown Agents USA team has to date achieved the following:
- Development and implementation of standard operating procedures
- Implementation of improved documentation systems
- Inclusion of quality assurance in all areas of laboratory testing
- Improved capacity of staff through formal training and on-the-job training in all facilities that have laboratory structure
- Improved sustainable universal precautions through:
o provision and use of protective clothing
o hand washing- scaling up the habit as an infection control measure - Adequate storage of laboratory chemicals and re-agents as specified in the acceptable material safety and data sheet
- Adequate hospital (medical) waste management and disposal
- HIV counselling and testing quality assurance
- Strengthened forecasting and quantification of health commodities
- Strengthened logistics information management systems
- Guided assessment, designing and renovation of health laboratories, pharmacies and doctors' consulting rooms
The programme has 32 HIV counselling and testing centres across two states in the Federation which is where clients have the first contact. Those that test positive for HIV are referred to the nearest comprehensive care centre where they will be seen by a trained doctor in laboratories with the capacity to perform CD4, Biochemistry, Blood Cell Indices and related HIV disease monitoring tests.
During 2010, the HCCI will partner with the Ministry of Health to:
- offer counseling and testing in five major centres
- support the printing of various information, education and communication materials
- provide one day of HIV/AIDS campaigns in the six educational zones of Enugu state including voluntary counselling and testing
- conduct HIV talk shows in churches
- involve the media houses in the Federation in discussing HIV issues