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

• 751 static and 225 outreach HIV testing sites

• 737 (static) ART sites; 626 of these started at least one pregnant or breastfeeding

  woman and 706 started asymptomatic patients (Test & Treat) this quarter

• 673 sites with HIV-exposed children in follow-up

977,745 persons were tested for HIV and received their results; 234,211 (24%) accessed HIV testing for the first time; 743,524 (76%) were repeat testers and 38,146 (5%) of these received confirmatory testing (after having tested positive in the past). 32,052 (3.3%) clients received a positive result for the first time.

23,189 (97%) of 23,866 blood units collected were screened for (at least) HIV, hepatitis B and syphilis.

146,974 (96%) of 150,893 women at ANC had their HIV status ascertained; 11,173 (8%) of these were HIV positive. 140,583 (99%) of 141,479 women at maternity had their HIV status ascertained 9,993 (7%) of these were HIV positive.

29,245 patients started ART this quarter; 61% were classified as asymptomatic / in WHO stage 1 and started under the new “Test & Treat” policy.

745,532 patients were alive and on ART by end of December 2017. This means that 71% of the estimated 1,051,000 HIV positive population was on ART. 1 ART coverage was 65% (45,172 / 70,000) for children and 71% (700,360 / 981,000) for adults.

57,561 (86%) of 67,137 viral load results from routine monitoring were <1000 copies/ml. Viral suppression rates for routine samples among children (0-14 years) and adults (15+ years) were 53% and 88%, respectively.

72% of adults and 75% of children were retained alive on ART at 12 months after initiation.

646,635 (89%) of 724,270 patients on first line adult ART were on TDF/3TC/EFV.

12,472 4 (91%) of an estimated 13,700 HIV infected pregnant women in Malawi were on ART this quarter. 8,342 (67%) of these were already on ART when getting pregnant and 4,130 (33%) started ART during pregnancy/delivery.

An additional 1,371 breastfeeding women started ART in WHO stage 1 or 2.81%, 73%, 69% and 63% of women started while pregnant or breastfeeding were retained on ART at 6, 12, 24 and 36 months after initiation, respectively.3

9,388 (7%) of infants discharged alive from maternity were known to be HIV exposed, 8,870 (94%) of these received ARV prophylaxis (nevirapine). 12,661 were enrolled in exposed child follow-up before age 2 months.

A total of 12,695 HIV exposed children were newly enrolled for follow-up this quarter.