An Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) and TB clinic has been commissioned at Mwanza District Hospital.
The clinic which aims to integrate services for HIV testing, ART, TB, hypertension, diabetes, sexually transimitted infections, family planning and antenatal care in a single facility, is expected to overall quality of care at the hospital.
It has been set up with funds from the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) under the District Health Systems Strengthen and Quality Improvement for Service Delivery but managed by the Management Sciences for Health (MSH).
Speaking during the commissioning this afternoon, MSH Country Director Erik Schouten said the clinic has been established in support of the 90:90:90 target which the government of Malawi adopted last year.
Schouten said Malawi needs a vibrant medical service and human capacity to achieve the 2030 target.
The United Nations programme on HIV/AIDS (Unaids) set the 90:90:90 targets in 2015 which aims at ensuring that by 2030, 90 percent of People Living with HIV (PLHIV) are identified; 90 % of identified PLHIV are initiated and etained on antiretroviral therapy; and 90 percent viral suppression for ART patients is achieved.
Mwanza District Health Officer Raphael Piringu says the clinic will promote ART adherence.
“This place will also ensure privacy among those on ART because with the integration a lot of people with different cases will be coming in other than isolating the clinic for HIV patients only,” he said.
Mwanza has over 6000 people on ART.
Pic: Piringu (in blue neck tie)taking the gathering around the clinic.
