13 Mar 2018

Health institutions across the country continue to come up with innovative ways of increasing HIV testing access.

One such testing campaign is dubbed Moon light and it saw Phuthadikobo and Bokaa clinics in Molepolole being commissioned to provide HIV testing after normal hours of work and beyond midnight. Public Relations Officer at Scottish Livingstone Memorial Hospital, Ms Nthabiseng Dikole said they saw the need to launch the campaign that targeted males and couples to increase HIV testing access in the village, adding that men and adolescents particularly did not test due to numerous reasons.

She said they managed to get many men tested and those who tested positive for HIV were assisted to access treatment immediately. She noted with concern that men often performed poorly along the treatment cascade. “The campaign intended  to take the testing services to the community after working hours so that those who are HIV positive could be enrolled immediately in the treatment,” Ms Dikole said, Explaining what Moon Light HIV testing campaign was a revolutionised response in increasing access to HIV point of test at which HIV test is done after normal hours of work and beyond midnight.

“The campaign was launched in 2017 and the two clinics were the only ones commissioning the campaign during weekends after working hours,” she said. “We also wanted to reduce discrepancy in testing between genders, with men less likely to test for HIV than women in normal hours of service delivery. She revealed that during the campaign which was administered on weekends they were faced with challenges,” she said. She said one challenge that made the campaign almost impossible was the fact that many men came while under the influence of alcohol and could not be tested, but they were counselled and advised to come back when sober. Further, she said in the near future focus would be on improving creation of demand strategies for the general population to understand objectives of the service. She said such a move would also ensure that they reach more hard to reach populations.

I encourage people to go to different health facilities and test for HIV and enroll on the ARVs if they test positive. With individuals accessing HIV testing and treatment services, this will bring positive development for people living with HIV. ENDS