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The Elizabeth Glaser Paediatric Foundation (EGPAF) quality improvement project is resulting in increased advanced HIV screening in Malawi in line with the vision of ending AIDS by 2030.
Dr. Eddie Matiya, the EGPAF Project Manager for Advanced HIV Disease (AHD) in Malawi, in his poster presentation at the ongoing 2023 International Conference on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections (ICASA) said the project is bearing tangible results with regards to advanced HIV disease and opportunistic infections screening.
“Advanced HIV Disease (AHD) significantly heightens mortality risks among individuals living with HIV (PLHIV), marked by increased susceptibility to opportunistic infections and severe illnesses.
“We have witnessed a number of challenges with the implementation of the World Health Organization (WHO)’s AHD package. These include resource constraints, logistical limitations, gaps in healthcare infrastructure, and human resource capacities that have collectively impeded the effective execution of AHD services in Malawi,” Dr. Matiya said.
As a panacea, a tailored quality improvement collaborative was initiated to specifically address the barriers and complexities hindering AHD service delivery across primary and secondary healthcare facilities.
The collaborative strategy aimed to surmount obstacles, streamline processes, and elevate the standards of AHD care delivery. Ultimately, it sought to empower healthcare practitioners and enhance outcomes for PLHIV in advanced stages of HIV infection within Malawi’s healthcare system.
Even though the quality improvement collaborative resulted in increased AHD and opportunistic screening across participating health facilities, there is a need for investment in CD-4 testing kits and other point-of-care diagnostics for tuberculosis (TB) and cryptococcal (fungal) infection.
Dr. Matiya encouraged the adoption of quality improvement approaches for scaling advanced HIV disease services.