Online Reporter
Robin Muchetu recently in Vungu
A COMMUNITY-LED HIV monitoring system, being implemented in Gweru rural by the Ministry of Health and Child Care, together with the National Aids Council, is yielding results and transforming the treatment landscape in communities, as beneficiaries have meaningful involvement in the programme.
Dubbed the Community Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) Monitoring programme, it is done periodically, typically each quarter of the year and seeks to ensure that people living with HIV are not left behind in initiatives that benefit them as users of the health facilities that access ART.
A visit to Chinamasa Clinic in Chiwundura, one of the health facilities in Ward 10, Vungu District, revealed how the community was at the core of HIV initiatives, as they are part of the monitoring of how services are administered to the people and how the beneficiaries view the services.
The health facility offers HIV treatment, care and support to the area where the Community Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) Monitoring programme is taking place.
“This programme is supported by NAC, which is offering financial support and implemented by members found in the networks for people living with HIV in the area.
“A team of people with HIV mobilise, who form the monitoring team. Here we have a team of three.
“They have a questionnaire, which guides them as they have discussions with members. They ask other people who use the facility for ART services the set questions and they document the responses,” said NAC District Aids Co-ordinator for Vungu District, Mrs Sukoluhle Sibanda.
They also ask health care workers a separate set of questions regarding how they deliver services to the community of PLWHIV.
The questions to clients include issues of how they access ART, if there are follow-ups done by health care workers, if they pay for any of the services and a lot more regarding service delivery at the clinic.
The programme ensures that there is adequate service provision to people with HIV and assists the Ministry of Health and Child Care in their planning and adjustments of the programme as the implementer.
“It also gives meaningful involvement of PLWHIV because the HIV programme is a big one and as a result, there is a need to meaningfully involve the beneficiaries in programming,” she said.
“It belongs to the community, we offer only technical support and they do their interviews and we are just silent observers. It also facilitates ownership from the community,” said Mrs Sibanda.
The DAC said the monitors compile a comprehensive report on their findings for the particular health facility being monitored and it is submitted to the District Aids Co-ordinator and it is shared with the District Medical Officer.
The findings help to assess how the ART programme is working in the district and also identify the challenges and how they can be abated.
“We also look at areas of improvement observed by the community monitors. Our ART programmes are, however, going well in the district and we have a few challenges,” she added.
Chinamasa Clinic is also implementing the Community Adolescent Treatment Support Programme (CATS) targeting adolescents and young people up to 24 years.
It supports treatment adherence among young people and is facilitated by a young person who works with their peers and is identified by the health facility using specific criteria.
They receive training from experts and are deployed to the facility and get mentorship on how the CATS programme will work.
“The young person facilitates adherence to treatment for children, adolescents and young adults who are on ART, who are given their medicines on specified dates, review dates and refills of medicine.
“They work hand in hand with health workers and ensure that a young person who misses any appointment or defaults is quickly engaged. The CATS communicate with the young person or their caregiver and remind them of their appointments with the health facility,” said Mrs Sibanda.
The CATS get mobile gadgets that they use to communicate with the young people and are also supported with airtime for ease of communication with their peers under their watch.
They also have their own support groups as young people and periodically come together and discuss issues affecting them, their treatment, their health condition and encourage each other on adherence.
— @NyembeziMu
