New HIV initiative to address treatment gaps to be implemented
A new HIV Quality Improvement Collaborative (QIC) to address gaps in healthcare provision and improve the quality of care is set to be implemented locally.
The new QIC will be implemented in 85 high-volume Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) facilities across all 14 regions and is expected to reach more than 83% of people living with HIV on ART in the public sector, Ministry of Health and Social Services Executive Director, Ben Nangombe said at a design meeting for the HIV quality improvement collaborative held this week.
“The QIC will leverage existing activities and programs, including the Facility Quality Improvement (QI) Committees that also have consumer representatives, national, regional, and district QI coaching support systems, the District Quality Managers and Clinical Mentorship program, activities being conducted by community organizations as well as other initiatives,” he said.
According to Nangombe, the new QI Collaborative will focus on areas such as index contact testing, continuity care, tuberculosis screening as well as cervical cancer screening and treatment including viral load suppression
“The current MHSS data shows there are still several gaps in specific areas of HIV care including; Index Contact Testing, which is at 31%, continuity in care (91%), tuberculosis screening (88%), cervical cancer screening (42%) and treatment (95%), and viral load suppression in the 0-24 years age group (87%),” he said
The QI Collaborative is in line with the implementation of the MHSS National Quality Policy and Strategy, as well as the Quality Standards for Hospitals and public healthcare facilities that the ministry launched and disseminated last year.
