Ensuring optimal community hiv testing services in nigeria using an enhanced community case-finding package (Eccp), october 2019–march 2020: Acceleration to hiv epidemic control

Abstract

Purpose: The 2018 Nigeria HIV/AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey (NAIIS) showed Nigeria’s progress toward the UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets: 47% of HIV-positive individuals knew their status; of these, 96% were receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART); and of these, 81% were virally suppressed. To improve identification of HIV-positive individuals, Nigeria developed an Enhanced Community Case-Finding Package (ECCP). We describe ECCP implementation in nine states and assess its effect. Methods: ECCP included four core strategies (small area estimation [SAE] of people living with HIV [PLHIV], map of HIV-positive patients by residence, HIV risk-screening tool [HRST], and index testing [IT]) and four supportive strategies (alternative healthcare outlets, performance-based incentives for field testers, Project Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes, and interactive dashboards). ECCP was deployed in nine of 10 states prioritized for ART scale-up. Weekly program data (October 2019–March 2020) were tracked and analyzed. Results: Of the total 774 LGAs in Nigeria, using SAE, 103 (13.3%) high-burden LGAs were identified, in which 2605 (28.0%) out of 9,294 hotspots were prioritized by mapping newly identified PLHIV by residential addresses. Over 22 weeks, among 882,449 individuals screened using HRST, 723,993 (82.0%) were eligible and tested for HIV (state range, 43.7– 90.4%), out of which 20,616 were positive. Through IT, an additional 3,724 PLHIV were identified. In total, 24,340 PLHIV were identified and 97.4% were linked to life-saving antiretroviral therapy. The number of newly identified PLHIV increased 17-fold over 22 weeks (week 1: 89; week 22: 1,632). Overall mean HIV positivity rate by state was 3.3% (range, 1.8–6.4%). Conclusion: Using ECCP in nine states in Nigeria increased the number of PLHIV in the community who knew their status, allowing them to access life-saving care and decreasing the risk of HIV transmission.