HIV Services

The Malawi EMPOWER’s goal is to support the Government of Malawi’s commitment to epidemic control by stopping HIV transmission and preventing new HIV infections among adolescent girls and young women (10–24 years of age) in Zomba and Machinga districts towards achieving the UNAIDS 95-95-95 goals by 2030.

WHAT WE DO

Malawi EMPOWER offers an Integrated HIV service package which includes:

• Individual risk assessment (using risk assessment tool) and risk reduction counseling.
• Condom distribution and skills building.
• HTS: AGYW eligible are screened using assisted HIV Oral Self-Test.  If they are found HIV positive, they undergo conventional test to confirm the results and if the results remain positive, the AGYW are referred /linked to client-preferred ART facility.
• PrEP: Willing and eligible AGYW are recruited and referred to a nearest site for initiation.
• Screening, diagnosis, and treatment of STI: AGYW get treated on spot or (actively) referred to nearest facility.
• Ensuring that all HIV negative high risk AGYW have access to HIV prevention interventions like PrEP and condoms including female condoms.
• Ensuring that all HIV positive AGYW identified through HTS will be considered as index clients eligible for partner testing services.
• Strengthening ART adherence for Adolescents living with HIV and that includes referrals for viral load sample collection and follow -ups on test results.

HOW WE DO IT

Malawi EMPOWER re-orients outreach teams on the general routine flow of services to be offered on a day and on data collection tools. The key integrated HIV services offered include HIV testing services (HTS); HIV risk assessment; Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) screening, treatment, and referral; condom education promotion, and provision; and Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) education, provision and/or referral. In addition, the Malawi EMPOWER team provides minimum number of primary HIV interventions that cut across the various Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) categories of 10-14 years, 15 -19 years, and 20-24 years. Malawi EMPOWER also shifted other HIV services to Youth Community Based Distribution Agents (YCBDA) and club facilitators to ensure continuity of quality service provision of condom promotion/distribution, STI/HTS /PrEP screening, and referral at community level.