Malawi Integrated HIV Program Report 2021 Q3

Program performance highlights by the end of September 2021 include:

• Scale-up of integrated HIV services had reached the following number of sites:
  • 760 static and 160 outreach HIV testing sites.
  • 767 (static) ART sites; 612 of these started at least one pregnant or breastfeeding woman.
  • 706 sites with HIV-exposed children in follow-up.
• 642,325 persons were tested for HIV by a trained provider and received their results; 115,831 (18%) accessed HIV testing for the first time; 526,492 (82%) were repeat testers and 20,665 (4%) of these received confirmatory testing (after having tested positive in the past). 18,568 (3.0%) clients received a positive result for the first time.
• A total of 142,158 people received 235,133 self-test kits; 110,183 (45%) of these were for use by the recipient and 124,950 (55%) for onward distribution to sex partners or other people.
• 22,397 (98%) of 22,902 blood units collected were screened for (at least) HIV, hepatitis B and syphilis.
• A cumulative total of 5,905 clients were referred for PrEP eligibility screening and 5,579 (94%) were found eligible. 4,750 (85%) were enrolled to on PrEP and 3,839 (81%) clients were retained on PrEP at the end of the September 2021.
• 156,552 (96%) of 163,446 women at ANC had their HIV status ascertained; 8,885 (6%) of these were HIV positive. 137,258 (95%) of 145,024 at maternity had their HIV status ascertained 8,713 (6%) of these were HIV positive.
• 18,792 patients started ART this quarter; 87% were classified as asymptomatic / in WHO stage 1 and started under the “Test & Treat” policy.
• 887,338 patients were alive and on ART by end of September 2021. This means that 90% of the estimated 986,654 HIV positive population was on ART. ART coverage was 79% (45,504/ 54,686) for children and 89% (844,834 / 931,968) for adults.
• 95,002 (93%) of 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 73% and 93%, respectively.
• 79% of adults and 81% of children were retained alive on ART at 12 months after initiation.
• Out of 874,993 patients on first line adult ART 840,657 (97%) had transitioned to TDF/3TC/DTG and only 2,450 (<1%) were on TDF/3TC/EFV.
• 9,385 6 (99%) of an estimated 9,5513 HIV infected pregnant women in Malawi were on ART this quarter. 6,751 (71%) of these were already on ART when getting pregnant and 2,634 (29%) started ART during pregnancy/delivery.
• An additional 722 breastfeeding women (re-)started ART in WHO stage 1 or 2.