Integrated HIV Programmes

Our HIV programmes are integrated to reach and meet the diverse needs of PLHIV and affected communities.

The global commitment to providing access to ARVs to the millions of people in the developing world provides new opportunities to improve the effectiveness of the HIV response. Maximising access to life-saving drugs will improve the health status of many people living with HIV, enhancing their wellbeing and their capacity to participate in society, and contribute to reducing the stigma associated with HIV. It will also provide new incentives for people to find out their HIV status. A massive increase in the provision of voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) and investment in health infrastructure is needed to enable delivery of ARVs. This will provide new opportunities to improve the reach of HIV prevention and improve access to treatment, care and support.

In order to prevent the spread of HIV and respond to the complex effects of HIV upon individuals, families and communities, we need to:

  • ensure integration between HIV prevention, testing, treatment, care and support programmes within our own organisations, including effective referral pathways
  • ensure integration between our programmes and other relevant health and related services and programmes, and
  • foster strategic partnerships to facilitate effective referral to other programmes and joint initiatives to meet the diversity of needs of PLHIV and affected communities.

Given that many people remain unaware of their HIV status, non-HIV-specific health services are a vital entry point for the provision of, or referral to, VCT, HIV prevention and HIV treatment, care and support programmes. Sexual and reproductive health programmes are essential in reducing the risks of HIV transmission and meeting the health needs of both women and men. Preventing and treating sexually transmitted infections (STIs) reduces the risk of people transmitting and acquiring HIV.  Integration of programmes and services for family planning, maternal and child health, antenatal care, and prevention and management of STIs and HIV provides a holistic approach to sexual and reproductive health. This is particularly so for women, who are likely to access such services for a range of heath needs but who may not perceive themselves to be at risk of HIV infection, despite the possibility of exposure to HIV through their partner.

People living with HIV are particularly susceptible to tuberculosis, and TB accounts for up to a third of AIDS deaths worldwide. Interventions for TB and HIV prevention and care need to be mutually reinforcing, with joint TB/HIV interventions required to prevent HIV infection, prevent TB, and integrate TB and HIV care for PLHIV.

Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (MTCT) needs to go beyond specific interventions, such as ARVs, counselling on infant feeding and caesarean deliveries, to include HIV and STI prevention among young women and men, quality pre-natal care, access to contraception and counselling about reproductive health options. Effective referral within networks of services enables pregnant women living with HIV to have access to VCT services and to HIV treatment, care and support to address their own health needs. A holistic approach to sexual and reproductive health is also likely to meet the range of health needs of sex workers. It is crucial that sexual and reproductive health services are accessible and appropriate for sex workers.