Webinar: implementation of HIV testing services by lay providers – the challenge of human resources and quality assurance

18 October 2023 10:00 – 11:30 GMT
Webinar

Special webinar to present the operational and technical challenges of implementing HIV testing services (HTS) by lay providers, with a specific focus on human resources and quality assurance in sub-Saharan Africa.

The session is in French and English, with simultaneous interpretation.

Organizers/partners

  • WHO, Global HIV, Hepatitis and STIs Programs (HHS)
  • UNAIDS

Objectives

  • Presentation of WHO and UNAIDS recommendations on implications of testing carried out by community actors and related human resources and quality assurance for HTS.
  • Sharing experiences and lessons learned on issues related to human resources and quality assurance of HTS carried out by lay providers in different African countries by community-based organizations (CBOs) and Ministries of Health (MoH). 

Agenda

18 October 2023 | 10:00-11:30 UTC (12:00-13:30 CEST)

Welcome remarks and moderation

Mach-Houd KOUTON (UNAIDS) 

Context and general recommendations from UNAIDS and WHO 

 

The urgency of relying more on community stakeholders to achieve the objectives of eliminating the epidemic by 2030 (UNAIDS) 

Pascal EBY, Regional Strategic Information Advisor, UNAIDS

HTS carried out by lay providers and quality assurance (WHO) 

Alaleh Abadpour, WHO (HQ/HHS/TPP) 

Roundtable 1: Civil society organizations 

  • The eligibility criteria and process for selecting community actors 
  • The minimum package and outlines of community actors’ training
  • The implication of integrating HIV testing with other diseases testing in terms of training and monitoring 

Followed by discussion roundtable

Speakers

  • Jonathan NZUKI, Utena Youth Organization (Kenya)  
  • Clarisse MAWIKA, RENOAC NGO (DRC) 

 

Roundtable 2: National Institutions  

  • National accreditation or authorization systems for community actors and organizations 
  • National Quality Assurance Systems 
  • Institutional systems to engage networks, community organizations and health districts 

Followed by discussion roundtable

Speakers

  • Ibtissam KHOUDRI, Epidemiology and Disease Control Division (Morocco) 
  • Lenhle Dube, National AIDS Programme (eSwatini)
  • Lubasi Sundano, Ministry of Health (Zambia)  

 

Summary and perspectives  

Khadijatou Fatim BA, Civil Society Institute for Health in WCA 

Background

Since 2015, WHO recommends HTS performed by lay providers as one of the HTS approaches. Thus, these trained and supervised actors can autonomously provide safe and effective HTS using rapid diagnostic tests (WHO 2015). However, in many African countries, the adoption of HTS task shifting is not yet effective and still faces significant obstacles. This is why UNAIDS and the WHO decided to organize a series of webinars on the topic of HTS carried out by lay providers in African countries.  

The first webinar (7 June 2023), co-organized with Coalition Plus, aimed to present the essential and general points around this topic, to strengthen advocacy for its adoption by countries.

This second webinar (18 October 2023) will address more technical and operational considerations to help countries (public and community actors) in the implementation of this approach. It will focus more specifically on the issue of human resources and quality assurance. How to select community actors to provide HTS? What training should we offer to them and what accreditation systems can be put in place by countries? What types of status, regulations and remuneration should be adopted by countries to allow fair recognition of these actors and minimize turnover? What monitoring and quality assurance systems can be developed to ensure quality HTS? These are the questions that this webinar will aim to answer.