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; 615 of these started at least one pregnant or breastfeeding woman and 705 started asymptomatic patients (Test & Treat) this quarter

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

1,186,676 persons were tested for HIV and received their results; 337,024 (28%) accessed HIV testing for the first time; 849,652 (72%) were repeat testers and 44,122 (5%) of these received confirmatory testing (after having tested positive in the past). 36,886 (3.2%) clients received a positive result for the first time.

16,639 (96%) of 17,318 blood units collected were screened for (at least) HIV, hepatitis B and syphilis.

159,751 (98%) of 163,712 women at ANC had their HIV status ascertained; 11,839 (7%) of these were HIV positive. 138,851 (99%) of 140,337 women at maternity had their HIV status ascertained 10,096 (7%) of these were HIV positive.

31,968 patients started ART this quarter; 61% were classified as asymptomatic / in WHO stage 1 and started under the new “Test & Treat” policy.

731,979 patients were alive and on ART by end of September 2017. This means that 71% of the estimated 1,036,000 HIV positive population was on ART. 1 ART coverage was 53% (53,345 / 101,000) for children and 73% (678,634 / 935,000) for adults.

54,138 (86%) of 62,864 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 58% and 89%, respectively.

79% of adults and 79% 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 12.4)

634,491 (93%) of 683,611 patients on first line adult ART were on TDF/3TC/EFV.

12,404 3 (94%) of an estimated 13,250 HIV infected pregnant women in Malawi were on ART this quarter. 8,150 (66%) of these were already on ART when getting pregnant and 4,254 (34%) started ART during pregnancy/delivery.

An additional 1,476 breastfeeding women started ART in WHO stage 1 or 2.

82%, 77%, 69% and 65% of women started while pregnant or breastfeeding were retained on ART at 6, 12, 24 and 36 months after initiation, respectively.

9,417 (7%) of infants discharged alive from maternity were known to be HIV exposed, 8,844 (94%) of these received ARV prophylaxis (nevirapine). 14,283 were enrolled in exposed child follow-up before age 2 months.

A total of 14,310 HIV exposed children were newly enrolled for follow-up this quarter.