HIV Services Offered at Art include:
- Voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) for HIV. We use the MOH strategy of routine counselling and testing for everyone who visits the hospital. During the PHC outreaches, we do offer VCT as well, and using tests like the HIV RNA test could be great for this purpose.
- Early infant diagnosis (DBS) by DNA PCR for diagnosis of HIV in infants between 6 weeks and 18 months). Samples are collected and sent to JCRC under the MOH programme and results are received after 3 weeks.
- Prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV (PMTCT). VCT is offered to all mothers who visit the birth clinic and those who test HIV positive are enrolled to receive ARVS under PMTCT.
- Provision of HAART at the HIV clinic. This is done by the medical officers. It involves clinical staging and laboratory staging of HIV.
- Chronic care for HIV patients that involves treatment of opportunistic infections upon each visit, regular follow up, providing septrin prophylaxis regularly, continuous counselling for positive living, nutritional counselling etc.
- TB-HIV co-infection assessment and management. All patients who test positive for HIV are assessed periodically for TB which involves laboratory assessment and radiological assessment. All patients who have TB are assessed for HIV and treated accordingly.
- Post-exposure prophylaxis for HIV. Involves first testing the exposed person for HIV and if negative then can be provided with ARV for 1 month to prevent HIV infection. This is offered mainly for victims of gender-based violence (rape and defilement) and occupational exposure to HIV.
