SURGE CAMPAIGN STRATEGY AN AMBITIOUS TREATMENT TARGET TO ACHIEVE UNAIDS

90-90-90 (2018)-LESSONS FROM TASO RUKUNGIRI SURGE CAMPAIGN IMPLEMENTATION

Background

While there have been increased efforts to scale up treatment initiatives in Uganda there
are still many people living with HIV who do not have access to the medicines they need.
(UNAIDS2018). Surge campaign is a strategy by United States President’s Emergency Plan
for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in South Western Uganda to achieve HIV epidemic control in
Uganda by 2020 whereby 90 percent of all people living with HIV will know their status, 90
percent of all people diagnosed with HIV will be on antiretroviral therapy, and 90 percent of people
receiving antiretroviral therapy will have viral suppression. Currently, Uganda’s statistics indicate
that out of an estimated population of 3million people living with HIV, only 71% of people
are aware of their HIV status, while 88% are on treatment and 89% are virally suppressed.

Description: At TASO Rukungiri we embraced different strategies that were bringing yield to
achieve the 1st 90. We implemented Assisted Partner Notification (APN), Index case testing,
Bar to Bar and moonlight testing approaches. In all the approaches paired teams of health
workers were involved and HIV starter pack in place so that those identified are linked to
care at point of testing. The campaign implemented Differentiated Service Delivery (DSD)
approaches/strategies to better serve the needs of individuals and ensure retention in care.

Lessons learned: Between March 2018 and December 2018, ............Individuals were tested
for HIV with.................. HIV+ cases identified from the different testing approaches. Linkage
to care and treatment stands at......% with...........% linked at TASO Rukungiri. APN strategy
yielded most with an average HIV yield of........% of the total positives identified more than
all other approaches. As a facility retention stands at...........%, transferred out........%,
DEAD............we have Lost..........HIV Positives.

Conclusions/Next steps: Surge campaign strategy is enabling identifying people who are
living with HIV and ensuring they are linked to treatment initiation and supported to
suppress Viral Load. There is need to intensify on what works as regards identifying new
cases in order to realise the 95% on 1 st 90. High yield from APN especially, Index case testing
and KP/PPs testing. Retention challenges are met due to mobility of persons for different
reasons.