STAR to make self-testing for HIV possible for locals
World's largest HIV self-testing initiative is here.
The world’s largest self-testing programme, the HIV Testing Africa (Star) Initiative, kicks off in South Africa. STAR intends to distribute over two million self-test kits to South Africans who are unaware of their HIV status and might be looking for a different way of testing. Star will support the government’s goal to close the HIV testing gap by creating easier access to testing for hard-to-reach populations, with the ultimate aim of increasing the uptake of HIV prevention and treatment services.
International Drug Purchase Facility (Unitaid), a global health initiative that is working with partners to end the world’s tuberculosis, HIV/Aids and malaria epidemics initially funded Star in Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe, where the initiative demonstrated that first-time testers, young people and more men can be reached through HIV self-testing. It showed that HIV self-testing helps to break many of the barriers that prevent people from knowing their status, with 60–90 per cent of individuals in rural communities taking up the offer to self-test. Many who tested positive were successfully referred for treatment, and men who tested negative were more likely to take up prevention services, such as medical male circumcision. Encouraged by the results of 80 per cent of the men in Zimbabwe who self-tested HIV-positive and reported that they had been referred to post-test services, Unitaid decided to support Star’s expansion into South Africa and other countries. The Society for Family Health (SFH), the Wits Reproductive Health Institute and the Clinton Health Access Initiative have been selected to set up the Star initiative in South Africa, with initial focus on Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga. The project will later expand to the rest of the country.
Miriam Mhazo, Country Director of SFH, said the bold new approach to HIV screening will be a huge undertaking as South Africa has about seven million people living with HIV and many are still unaware of their status.
“The kits allow for HIV testing in the privacy of one’s home or another venue of choice. This is one way of addressing issues of access, stigma and confidentiality that are possible barriers to testing at conventional healthcare facilities,” said Miriam.
The kits will be distributed through workplaces, educational settings, communities, health facilities and peer distribution. The project will be rolled out to reach more sexually active individuals, with the priority being those aged 15–24. Self-testing will be infused into complementary services; among them reproductive health, provision of contraceptives; post-rape and HIV Pre-exposure Prophylatic (PrEP) programmes. SFH will pursue different social marketing activities, such as activations, printed materials and social media campaigns, to raise awareness and boost uptake.
The programme’s goal is to make a significant contribution to the achievement of the United Nations’ 90-90-90 treatment targets. These call for 90 per cent of people living with HIV to be diagnosed, 90 per cent of those diagnosed to be on treatment and 90 per cent of those on treatment to be virally suppressed by 2020.
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