Scale-up of integrated HIV services had reached the following number of sites:

• 751 static and 225 outreach HIV testing sites
• 722 (static) ART sites; 628 of these started at least one pregnant or breastfeeding woman and 691 started asymptomatic patients (Test & Treat) this quarter
• 656 sites with HIV-exposed children in follow-up.

982,561 persons were tested for HIV and received their results; 265,734 (27%) accessed HIV testing for the first time; 716,827 (73 %) were repeat testers and 46,822 (7%) of these received confirmatory testing (after having tested positive in the past). 41,113 (4%) clients received a positive result for the first time.

24,024 (99%) of 24,329 blood units collected were screened for (at least) HIV, hepatitis B and syphilis.

151,227 (97%) of 155,519 women at ANC had their HIV status ascertained; 11,460 (8%) of these were HIV positive. 128,374 (99%) of 134,140 women at maternity had their HIV status ascertained 9,654 (8%) of these were HIV positive.

35,762 patients started ART this quarter; 75% of these were classified as asymptomatic / in WHO stage 1 and started under the new “Test & Treat” policy.

691,314 patients were alive and on ART by end of March 2017. This means that 67% of the estimated 1,033,000 HIV positive population was on ART. ART coverage was 54% (54,119 / 101,000) for children and 68% (637,195 / 932,000) for adults.

54,868 (87%) of 62,845 viral load results from routine monitoring were <1000 copies/ml. Viral suppression rates among children (0-14 years) and adults (15+years) were 61% and 90%, respectively.

75% of adults and 78% of children were retained alive on ART at 12 months after initiation. Actual retention rates are thought to be about 10% higher due to misclassification of ‘silent transfers’ as defaulters in clinic-based survival/retention analysis. (see section 15.4)

603,734 (93%) of 677,441 patients on first line adult ART were on TDF/3TC/EFV.

12,323 3 (93%) of an estimated 13,250 HIV infected pregnant women in Malawi were on ART this quarter. 7,795 (63%) of these were already on ART when getting pregnant and 4,528 (37%) started ART during pregnancy/delivery.

An additional 1,464 breastfeeding women started ART in WHO stage 1 or 2.

79%, 73%, 67% and 65% of women started while pregnant or breastfeeding were retained on ART at 6, 12, 24 and 36 months after initiation, respectively.

9,128 (7%) of infants discharged alive from maternity were known to be HIV exposed, 8,674 (95%) of these received ARV prophylaxis (nevirapine). 10,007 were enrolled in exposed child follow-up before age 2 months.

A total of 13,606 HIV exposed children were newly enrolled for follow-up this quarter.