Here is news about the Union's programme.
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IHC “PLUS” serves HIV-infected patients in Myanmar regardless of TB status
The Integrated HIV Care Programme (IHC) in Myanmar has entered its second phase, IHC PLUS, and now offers services to HIV patients regardless of whether or not they have tuberculosis.
The Integrated HIV Care Programme (IHC) in Myanmar has entered its second phase, IHC PLUS, and now offers services to HIV patients regardless of whether or not they have tuberculosis. The service area of the programme has also expanded to incorporate Lashio and Taunggyi municipalities, which include 2,262,671 people and about 5,000 TB cases per year.
Supported by the 3 Diseases Fund since January 2010, IHC PLUS is rapidly enrolling HIV-infected patients and starting them on antiretroviral therapy. Thank to the opening of new out-patient departments, the absorption capacity has been largely increased. Although it took five years to start 2,000 patients on ART, an additional 1,712 patients have been enrolled and 1,003 patients started on ART within the past five months. The IHC cohort is growing fast, with the prospect of having 5,000 patients on antiretroviral therapy by June 2011. Additional funding from the Global Fund is currently under negotiation.
Other improvements have made access to IHC PLUS easier for patients and providers:
* Patients do not have to prove that they are residents of the service area in order to be eligible for services. This will result in a higher number of patients accessing ART.
* HIV testing has been decentralised. The National AIDS Programme has trained key TB staff and laboratory technicians at the township health centres in order to provide HIV tests for TB patients at township level. This will alleviate traveling to Mandalay General Hospital both for patients diagnosed with TB at township level, as well as for spouses and children of TB/HIV co-infected patients.
* Chronic HIV care, formerly handled centrally at the Mandalay General Hospital, will be decentralised and handled at the township health centre (TSHC) level. The ability to handle HIV consultations at multiple locations will increase the absorption capacity of the programme. This could serve as a model for the whole country.
http://www.theunion.org/news/ihc-plus-serves-hiv-infected-patients-in-myanmar-regardless-of-tb-status.html
