HIV self-testing kits ‘could help end spread’ of virus
A digital solutions company for healthcare believes the rollout of self-testing kits would help end the spread of HIV by 2030.
"When we are looking at out 95-95-95 targets, those are actually looking very low and for us as a country to reach the target and control the epidemic, we need to target under-tested," says Silinganiso Chatikobo, who is with BroadReach Health Development.
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Her team delivered a presentation on self-testing at the SA AIDS Conference in Durban this week.
"We have specific target audiences that we are looking at. We are looking at our adolescent girls and young women mostly because those are under-tested and we are also looking at men as well," Chatikobo said.
Speaking to Newswatch on the sidelines of the conference, she said they used evidence from a programme called APACE.
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It's one of the most extensive HIV/AIDS treatment and care programmes worldwide and is currently being used in KZN and Mpumalanga.
"For those who do not like needles, the oral-based is actually taking the samples from your mouth and you then screen yourself using that.
"Four percent of all the people who were testing positive as first-time testers is a good indication in terms of the efficacy and the efficiency, including HIV self-screening."
