Department of Health Grant: Enhancing HIV/TB Services and Technical Assistance in Swaziland

To have all children, adolescents, women, and men undertake a HIV test and know their status;
To improve availability, access, and utilization of HIV prevention and treatment services by key populations;
To eliminate new infections among children and keep mothers alive;
To improve the quality of life of people living with HIV (PLHIV) through treatment and strengthen treatment as a prevention strategy.

The purpose of these funds is two-fold. First, to support viral load training for clinical staff and procurement of supplies for managing viral load results at the facility level, and second, for expanding services for test and start which will support enhanced linkages to and retention in care, particularly for male clients, including expansion of clinic hours and community outreach. These funds are to assure sufficient funding to support the roll-out of viral load monitoring and implementation of test and start in the 38 facilities in Manzini region, potentially affecting 18,996 HIV-positive clients who will not receive viral load monitoring, and 326 HIV-positive individuals who would not have access to immediate treatment. Of particular concern is the population of HIV-positive men who do not access traditional health care services, and for whom proving more-male-friendly services is a priority.