WHO and UNAIDS issued new guidance on informed, voluntary HIV testing and counselling in the world’s health facilities, with a view to significantly increasing access to needed HIV treatment, care, support and prevention services.
The new guidance focuses on provider-initiated HIV testing and counselling (recommended by health care providers in health facilities).
Today, approximately 80% of people living with HIV in low- and middle-income countries do not know that they are HIV-positive. Recent surveys in sub-Saharan Africa showed on average just 12% of men and 10% of women have been tested for HIV and received their test results.
Increased access to HIV testing and counselling is essential to promoting earlier diagnosis of HIV infection, which in turn can maximize the potential benefits of life-extending treatment and care, and allow people with HIV to receive information and tools to prevent HIV transmission to others.
“Scaling up access to HIV testing and counselling is both a public health and a human rights imperative,” said WHO HIV/AIDS Director Dr Kevin De Cock. “We hope that the new guidance will provide an impetus to countries to greatly increase availability of HIV testing services in health care settings, through realistic approaches that both improve access to services and, at the same time, protect the rights of individuals. Without a major increase in HIV testing and counselling in health facilities, universal access to HIV prevention, treatment and care will remain just a noble goal.”
Download Guidance on provider-initiated HIV testing and counselling in health facilities [pdf 2.34Mb]
http://www.who.int/entity/hiv/who_pitc_guidelines.pdf