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

• 757 static and 225 outreach HIV testing sites

• 750 (static) ART sites; 632 of these started at least one pregnant or breastfeeding woman and 720 started asymptomatic patients (Test & Treat) this quarter

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

1,106,090 persons were tested for HIV and received their results; 251,497 (23%) accessed HIV testing for the first time; 854,593 (77%) were repeat testers and 34,777 (3%) of these received confirmatory testing (after having tested positive in the past). 31,089 (2.9%) clients received a positive result for the first time.

24,354 (99%) of 25,174 blood units collected were screened for (at least) HIV, hepatitis B and syphilis.

156,321 (98%) of 159,118 women at ANC had their HIV status ascertained; 11,669 (7%) of these were HIV positive. 135,236 (95%) of 142,860 at maternity had their HIV status ascertained 10,589 (8%) of these were HIV positive.

28,858 patients started ART this quarter; 64% were classified as asymptomatic / in WHO stage 1 and started under the “Test & Treat” policy.

805,232 patients were alive and on ART by end of December 2018. This means that 76% of the estimated 1,064,676 HIV positive population was on ART. 2 ART coverage was 68% (45,450 / 66,948) for children and 76% (759,782 / 997,727) for adults.

78,354 (90%) of 86,944 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 61% and 92%, respectively.

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

Out of 750,477 patients on first line adult ART 689,148 (92%) were on TDF/3TC/EFV and 3,193 (<1%) had transitioned to TDF/3TC/DTG.

12,317 5 (88%) of an estimated 14,000 HIV infected pregnant women in Malawi were on ART this quarter. 8,959 (73%) of these were already on ART when getting pregnant and 3,358 (27%) started ART during pregnancy/delivery.

An additional 1,253breastfeeding women started ART in WHO stage 1 or 2.

76%, 71%, 67% and 62% of women started while pregnant or breastfeeding were retained on ART at 6, 12, 24 and 36 months after initiation, respectively.

9,533 (7%) of infants discharged alive from maternity were known to be HIV exposed, 9,017 (95%) of these received ARV prophylaxis (nevirapine).