Study Title: Bridging the Gap in HIV testing and care for Children in Zimbabwe

Lead Researcher(s)

Chido Dziva Chikwari, Rashida Ferrand

Funder(s)

UK Medical Research Council, DFID, Orasure

Partner(s)

London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Ministry of Health and Child

Care Zimbabwe, Organisation for Public Health Interventions and Development, Population

Services International, Million Memory Project Zimbabwe, Duke Global Health Institute

Background

Compared to adults’ children have poor HIV testing, treatment and programmatic outcomes. To achieve the UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets, there is now an urgent need to improve HIV testing and engagement with HIV treatment and care services among children and adolescents - a group that is difficult to reach and has lower treatment success.

Study aim(s): To investigate the effectiveness of targeted HIV testing for children aged 2 –18 years and community health worker deliver support visits to children diagnosed with HIV and their caregivers.

Study design

Individuals living with HIV attending for HIV care at selected healthcare facilities were asked if they have any children aged 2-18 years in their households who have not been tested for HIV. For those who did, 3 options for HIV testing these children were be offered:

1) Bringing the children to clinic to have clinic-based testing

2) Community-based testing- done at home by community workers

3) An HIV oral mucosal test given to the individual to test their children in the privacy of

their home.

All Children who tested HIV-positive or are identified as HIV positive but not linked to care were referred for HIV care and treatment. They were also offered an evidence-based community-based support intervention (the ZENITH intervention) adapted for the local context, to facilitate linkage and retention into care. The support intervention was in the form of structured support visits following diagnosis over a period of 1-12 months.

Study dates

January 2018 – December 2021