Tiny Tim and Friends (TTF) Operates 3 Outposts

 Mtendere East, Outpost 

Johnlaing Outpost

Garden Outpost

TTF found that people testing positive in the community often delayed starting antiretroviral treatment (ART) because of issues related to the quality of care such as: 
• Stigma associated with accessing care
• Incomplete knowledge of treatment benefits
• Cost of transport of seeking HIV care among poor and low-income individuals
• Concern about long waiting times at a health facility
• Losses to care between community testing and ART initiation

To Address These Issues, TTF Resolved To

  • Decentralize HIV testing services (HTS) bringing them closer to the community
  • Embed each community outpost in a high-activity and busy setting
  • Staff each post with a clinician and well-trained psychosocial counselors

In Implementing These Interventions, TTF
​Observed The Following

  • An increase in HIV case identification (271 positives in care from June to early November at the outposts)
  • Decentralizing HTS reduced transport costs and waiting times experienced at a health facility, thereby increasing uptake
  • Linkage for ART and care has significantly improved (same-day testing and initiation of ART)
  • An increase in outpost visits and drug refills (since June, 807 individuals visited the outposts for HIV testing and counseling. TTF outposts had 267 drug refills from June to early November)

​Services at the outposts include

  • HIV testing and counseling
  • ART initiation
  • TB preventive therapy (TPT)
  • PrEP
  • Index testing and partner notification services
  • Infant weighing
  • Blood pressure checks
  • Early Infant Diagnosis (EID)
​The outposts are vital for delivering HTS closer to the community. Because of stigma issues, outposts provide a more private setting where clients can easily have their ART pick-ups. The outposts also reduce the burden of transport costs upon clients. Some counselors live within the communities the outposts operate in, so when a client does not come for a drug refill, counselors deliver drugs to them. Therefore, client retention is high in the outposts. TTF outposts are important, especially during these times of the COVID-19 pandemic where restricted movement is encouraged by the national government. COVID-19 has been disrupting access to HIV quality care and treatment. The outposts need impetus to identify hard-to-reach populations and address challenges faced with providing ART.

FOLLOW/ JOIN US:
Proudly powered by Weebly