Solthis Therapeutic Solidarity and Initiatives for Health

BENINFighting HIV / AIDSImprove the health of children in Africa

Context

As part of the implementation of the NFM3 covering the period 2021-2023, the country has identified a gap in the achievement of ARV coverage targets among children.

– A low rate of knowledge of HIV status among men and to a lesser extent among children.

This situation compromises the achievement of the 3×95 UNAIDS target. The PSLS has put in place a number of strategies that are struggling to improve these indicators, particularly with regard to children and families.

These include:

– Screening outside the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) program (family screening, screening of malnourished children, screening of children hospitalized in pediatric services, etc.);

– Screening of spouses of pregnant women through the usual tests;

– Distribution of HIV self-tests to spouses of pregnant women.

These strategies have not led to a substantial improvement in these indicators. The PSLS has therefore requested technical assistance to conduct an analysis of the situation of pediatric care and low knowledge of the HIV status of children under 15 years of age in order to identify the determinants of these shortcomings and adopt new strategies to improve them.

Overall objective

To support the PSLS BENIN in identifying gaps in HIV testing among children and in the management of pediatric HIV in order to identify new strategies for the new funding request to the Global Fund (NFM4) and the future strategy to fight HIV/AIDS, the current strategy ends in 2023 (as part of the Integrated National Strategic Plan for the Elimination of HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Malaria, Hepatitis, Sexually Transmitted Infections and Epidemics (PSNIE).

Planned activities

– Document review and development of collection tools and study protocol.

– Training of interviewers and supervisors.

– Collection of missing data in the regions and structures, associations or partners working with the target populations.

– Development of sociodemographic and biological databases.

– Analysis of qualitative, quantitative and biological data.

– Drafting of the study report and restitution of the results with the collaboration of the beneficiaries of the study.

Expected results 

– Outcome 1: All necessary preparatory work for the study is completed (literature review, development of collection tools and training manuals, protocol, approval of national ethics committee).

– Outcome 2: Collection of missing data is completed (training of survey staff and supervision of data collection at the national level).

– Outcome 3: Data analysis is conducted and data are compared with previously available data and with normative documents for screening and management of the study populations.

– Outcome 4: Results and recommendations are presented, validated, and disseminated for use in the next Global Fund strategy and/or funding application.