Identifying a feasible and acceptable implementation strategy to scale up TPT with 3HP for PLHIV in Zimbabwe is an urgent priority. Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) plans to implement 3HP within Zimbabwe in 2020. In addition to Zimbabwe, ICAP is supporting TRACE in five other sub-Saharan African countries-in close collaboration with CDC, ministries of health, and local organizations-to guide program design and allocate resources effectively and efficiently. Trainings, supportive supervision, and continuous quality improvement during health information system development will enable the Ministry of Health to capture data and conduct epidemiological analysis and characterization to support robust surveillance and targeted interventions for recent HIV infections. ICAP will leverage its strong partnerships with civil society groups to inform the public about recency testing and help garner community support. The five-year TRACE project aims to increase use of a new HIV-1 rapid recency assay, developed by CDC, that can distinguish a recent infection (acquired within the last 12 months) from a long-term one. With support from PEPFAR through the CDC, ICAP is supporting the roll-out of rapid recency testing that promises to advance efforts to characterize where and among whom new infections are occurring, and to inform prevention efforts to curb ongoing transmission.
The scope of work also includes strengthening human resources to support country ownership of sustainable SI activities. Project implementation is driven by the collaborative efforts of ICAP staff based in Zimbabwe country office, staff seconded to the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) and ICAP’s headquarters team in New York working in close coordination with CDC in Zimbabwe and Atlanta. Strengthen human resources to support country ownership of sustainable SI activities. Improve systems to plan, conduct and implement comprehensive, high-quality surveys and surveillance to quantify and characterize the HIV epidemic, andĭ. Strengthen systems to monitor and evaluate the coverage, quality, and effectiveness of the national HIV response.Ĭ. Enhance the ability of national institutions to plan and coordinate SI activities.ī.
Since 2016, the goal of this project is to build the capacity of individuals, institutions, and the overall health system of Zimbabwe, and to develop and maintain a national, evidence-based HIV response using comprehensive, integrated, and accessible SI.Ī.