Integrated Health Services, Community Mobilization and Mobile Clinics: A Strategy to Scale up Counseling and Testing Services in Angola

Essential Health System Strengthening Project EHSP/SES financed by USAID Angola and implemented in coordination with the National Institute to fight AIDS (INLS) and Provincial Health Directorate (DPS), has been working to increase the number of health facilities (HF) that provides Voluntary Counseling and Testing services (VCT) in seven provinces in Angola.

In October 2007, 126 HF were providing VCT services in separated areas sometimes in standalone units within the HF promoting stigma and discrimination. The coverage was very low and services not cost effective. That model did not assure that individuals attending CT services on voluntary basis and people referred from other HF were counseled and tested, plus patients diagnosed HIV + were referred to hospitals for treatment and prophylaxis. Between 2008-2009, EHSP/SES established 38 new VCT services supporting Mobile Clinics in two provinces targeting far communities to increase HIV/AIDS prevention, awareness and promotion for utilization of VCT services. Trained community health volunteers to conduct community mobilization and education activities to offer more friendly services to youths and men and started a Provider Initiated Counseling and Testing approach, refurbished rooms to increase privacy during VCT and developed standards to improve quality of VCT services.

Since 2009, the project has trained 139 professionals on the integration focus including the use of mobile clinics. Increasing the number of people counseled and tested from 13,312 to 23,684. This experience demonstrated that providing integrated services at HF, using mobile clinics, allowing participation of community volunteers increases coverage and captures higher numbers of sero-positive individuals.