DAPCU AhmedNagar (Maharashtra) Response to the Theme : Strategies for reducing Pre - ART LFUs at district

DAPCU Ahmednagar is conducting monthly co-ordination meetings with ART centre and Vihaan (CSC) staff to discuss the number of pre-ART LFU cases, efforts made to track them and the number of pre-ART LFUs who reached the ART centre. CSC staff are offered guidance on effective strategies that may be used for follow-up with clients. DAPCU emphasizes the importance of quality counselling by ICTC and ART centre Counsellors and capacity building of CSC staff for improving performance. Efforts are being made by DAPCU and ART centre to decongest the ART centre by shifting eligible clients to the Link ART centre. This will help improve the quality of counselling at the ART centre, encourage more clients to register for ART and adhere to treatment. ART centre staff have been instructed by DAPCU team to make follow-ups with clients through phone calls. From this month, DAPCU Ahmednagar is initiating group counseling during OPD twice a month with the help of ART Counselor and District ICTC Supervisor on specific topics, such as, ART adherence, opportunistic infections, diet and hygiene.

DAPCU Thoothukudi (Tamilnadu) Response to the Theme : Strategies for reducing Pre - ART LFUs at district

DAPCU Thoothukudi compares the line list of HIV positive clients from ICTC with the registered cases at ART Centre. A list of clients who have tested positive for HIV but have not registered at the ART centre is prepared for tracking and follow-up. For persons coming from neighboring districts, the client details are shared with the concerned DAPCU and the nearest ICTC for follow-up and registration. Similarly, for those who are from other states, DAPCU sends a communication to the concerned SACS for follow-up. When required, the ICTC Counsellor accompanies the client to the ART centre for registration. The DAPCU team and ICTC Counsellor make house visits to motivate clients who are not willing to visit the ART centre. Outreach Worker from the positive people’s network and Peer Educator from the TI project are also involved in making sure that the client gets registered at the ART centre. Linkages to social protection schemes are strengthened through the legal aid clinic as a motivation for clients to avail ART services.

DPM, DAPCU Thoothukudi facilitating block-level meeting one the importance of reducing Pre-ART LFU in the district