Zambia

In 2021, the NH will transition to a new phase of New Horizons 2.0, EGPAF as a key implementing partner along with other current partners including Partnership for Supply Chain Management, Imperial Logistics, CIPHER Paediatric HIV Matters, Right to Care, and the Paediatric European Network for Treatment of AIDS.

EGPAF provides technical Assistance to Circle of Hope in Zambia to build on the success of the CoH Community Post model, and FASTER seeks to develop Standard Operating Procedures, training modules, and training materials, building on those already developed by CRS under the EpiC 3-90 project to support the implementation of the community post model as implemented by Circle of Hope in Zambia. The aim is to develop a package of materials that partners supported through CDC’s Faith and Community Initiative (FCI) to roll out and implement this evidence-based model in other FCI countries.

The purpose of this U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention–funded assignment is to support moving forward the test-and-start initiative and evaluation of community-based ART in two countries, Zambia and Namibia.

Guidelines on prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) and infant feeding from the World Health Organization (WHO) show promise towards eliminating confusion about infant feeding and move us closer to possible elimination of pediatric HIV infection. Zambia adopted Option A, which outlines the use of extended infant nevirapine through the duration of breastfeeding. Through the use of extended infant nevirapine, these revised guidelines preserve breastfeeding as the safest method of infant feeding in resource-constrained settings.

EGPAF worked with Johns Hopkins University (JHU) on an NIH-funded Orphan and Vulnerable Children (OVC) study to evaluate the effectiveness of a cognitive-behavioral intervention compared to an existing intervention in improving a wide range of OVC outcomes including reduction in HIV risk behaviors, improved well-being, mental health, functioning, education, and caregiver health and support.

Under Project HEART with support from PEPFAR, EGPAF-Zambia provided HIV care and treatment services since 2004 in Lusaka, Southern, Eastern, and Western provinces, and prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) services since 2002 in Lusaka, Eastern, and Western provinces.

Through funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), EGPAF implemented the eight‐year global Call to Action (CTA) project in 12 countries around the world, including Zambia (from 2003 through 2007).

Given that integration of syphilis testing into prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) programs can prevent adverse pregnancy outcomes, this study assessed the feasibility and acceptability of introducing rapid syphilis testing (RST) into PMTCT programs in Zambia and Uganda.

This multi-country study was one of the first in sub-Saharan Africa to evaluate maternal and infant outcomes in women receiving antiretroviral treatment (ART) at time of conception and during pregnancy as part of routine HIV service delivery.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation funded this project, which was designed to expand access to PMTCT services in 10 countries including Zambia, which allowed EGPAF to fill critical gaps, ensure continued service delivery in resource-limited countries, and leverage other donor resources to increase access to PMTCT services.

EGPAF worked with the Zambia Ministry of Health to adopt and implement Option A of the 2010 WHO recommendations for PMTCT, including development and revision of national data collection tools.

Through this project, EGPAF supported the Ministry of Health (MOH) and collaborated with UNICEF to strengthen national prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) activities and supported the roll-out of Option A in the Choma, Katete, and Chipata Districts.

EGPAF collaborated with the Macha Research Trust on a CDC/PEPFAR-funded project which had the following goal: “Provision of technical assistance, scientific and applied expertise towards an integrated multi-disciplinary approach for HIV care, treatment and prevention in the Choma District of Zambia.”

The goal of this three-year, Elma Foundation-funded project is to rapidly scale-up pediatric HIV testing among children from 18 months to 19 years of age and initiate HIV-infected children on ART.

This project helped to ensure greater access to HIV identification and treatment among adolescents in Zambia.

The Survive and Thrive project, funded by the Conrad J. Hilton Foundation, aimed to support healthy early childhood development for children under five by targeting children infected and affected by HIV/AIDS in high HIV prevalence areas of Lusaka Province.

Under this five-year CDC/PEPFAR-funded project, EGPAF-Zambia worked closely with the Ministry of Health to provide technical assistance and build capacity in strategic information and evaluation. We supported all aspects of the electronic health record system, SmartCare.

This Unitaid-funded project aims to increase access to early infant HIV diagnosis (EID) and antiretroviral treatment among eligible children. The project’s two main objectives are to optimize EID networks through the introduction of point-of-care (POC) diagnostic technology to increase the number of infants tested and initiated on ART, and create a market for affordable, effective, and equitable HIV testing of exposed infants.

The purpose of this CDC-funded assignment is to support national implementation of World Health Organizations guidelines recommending Treatment of All HIV-positive individuals, regardless of disease stage or demographic.