Minister of Health Dr. Jane Achieng has revealed that Uganda is in the final stages to unveil new technology that will enhance the current methods the government is using in monitoring HIV/AIDS prevalence in the country.
Dubbed Point of Care Technology (POCT), according to the minister, the tools will help in reinforcing the 90–90–90 strategy, which the government embarked on in 2016 to eliminate HIV/Aids from the country.
The 90–90–90 strategy was launched in 2014 by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and partners to diagnose 90% of all HIV-positive persons, provide antiretroviral therapy (ART) for 90% of those diagnosed, and achieve viral suppression for 90% of those treated by 2020.
As part of the implementation of this strategy, the government has been seeking to devise means of how to track different groups of people and test them for HIV/Aids in different communities. Using technology, officials are able to collect data from patients to trace their testing history and frequency of treatment.
The government has since been using the biometric fingerprint technology where HIV/Aids patients have been identified using fingerprints.
Speaking at the launch, the then minister of Health, Dr. Elioda Tumwesigye, said that identity verification based on fingerprint technology would improve access to services, aid in tracking HIV patients, drugs and generate information that can be used for decision making.
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One of those areas where fingerprint technology was launched is Rwenzori sub-region where HIV/Aids prevalence rate stood at 8.3 percent as of 2015. The Rwenzori region comprises Kabarole, Kamwenge, Kyegegwa, Ntoroko, Bundibugyo, Bunyangabu, Kasese and Kyenjojo districts. Kabarole had the highest Aids prevalence rate (15 percent) by 2015.
Under the fingerprint technology, a patient is identified using their fingerprint and the information can be shared with different clinics to avoid duplicity. This means the government is able to know the exact number of people on treatment and how many more need it.
Since the adoption of the technology about two years ago, the region has registered gains in the fight against HIV/Aids. According to a survey conducted by the Uganda Population-Based HIV Impact Assessment (UPHIA) between August 2016 and March 2017, HIV/Aids prevalence has reduced from 8.3 percent in 2015 to 5.7 percent in 2017 in Rwenzori region.
POCT
While appearing on NBS Television, Minister Achieng said that the point of care technology will also be used for Early Infant Diagnosis (EID) which will improve infants’ survival once they start early on HIV medication.
She said that the optimism is premised on a new public-private partnership agreement which provides an opportunity for government and Abbott to strengthen capacity implementation and support of POCT towards the achievement of the UNAIDS 90-90-90 by 2020 in Uganda.
Abbott and the government of Uganda will provide the m-PIMA™ HIV-1/2 VL, the newest solution and the first viral load monitoring test at the point of care in health facilities.
Also speaking to NBS, Dr. Simon Aliga, the District Health Officer, Amudat district said that POCT is efficient as the tests are done there and then. “It is the way to go because at the facility level there are many people who come to access care,” he said, adding that with this technology, long waiting lines at health facilities will be history as there will be no more sending patients to the laboratory and no congestion.
Related:
Electronic referral health system launched in Uganda
Fingerprint technology helping Uganda fight HIV/Aids
