Marseille 2007
Marseille 2007
Abstract book
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Abstract #607  -  The contribution of Community Based Organizations for scaling up access to HIV voluntary counselling and testing through a specific program in Burkina Faso
Session:
  6.106: Posters A (Poster) on Monday   in  Chaired by
Authors:
  Presenting Author:   Dr Some Jean franois - PAMAC, Burkina Faso
 
  Additional Authors:  Dr Simaga Fode, Mlle Crouzil Laetitia,  
Aim:
The fight against HIV/AIDS has been led in Burkina Faso by active CBOs and local NGOs. Since 1995, community members have developed and promoted services for voluntary counseling and testing. To support these local initiatives in order to make them sustainable, a special program was open in 2003, called Programme dappui au monde associatif et communautaire (PAMAC): Community and Associations Support Program. The aim of PAMAC is to reinforce technical and economic capacities of NGOs and associations involved in HIVAIDS, in order to allow them to develop activities with a high quality standard. PAMAC has developed four sub-programs towards CBOs: (i) targetted prevention for vulnerable groups, (ii) voluntary counseling and testing, (iii) psychosocial support for patients, (iv) support towards institutions in order to reinforce associative skills.
 
Method / Issue:
The sub-program related to voluntary counselling and testing was the first open in 2003. Its objective is to support the implementation of 20 community testing centers that follow standard quality norms and provide services at local level. The program selected some associations, trained actors in counselling and management of testing centers, in equipment of testing centers, in regular provision of test kits and in developing tools for follow-up of activities.
 
Results / Comments:
After three years, voluntary testing activities have dreadly increased in Burkina, from 20 000 tests done in 2002 to more than 200 000 in 2006. The program made it possible to test 470 000 persons in three and half years, with an estimated cost of 2 millions USD. These important results are due to the development of new strategies such as national testing campaigns and mobile strategies, which are remarkably successful. 50% among the persons that underwent a test in Burkina during the last three years have done it during a testing campaign. 86% amongst the persons tested during the same period were tested in a community center, while these centers represent 30% of all testing centers at national level.
 
Discussion:
These data show that good results may be obtained through providing good support to community services and developing several combined strategies for testing. The example of Burkina Faso shows that professionalism of community actors that are already involved and motivated may be reached, which may favour trust and interest from populations. It is thus an interesting alternative for developing countries that suffer from the scarcity of human resources and often from the low level of health workers involvement.
 
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