By Olasunkanmi Jumoke
The Society for Family Health has announced the successful completion of its pilot project titled Strengthening HIV Self-testing in Private Sector (SHIPS).
It sought to transform the private sector market for HIV self-testing (HIVST) by addressing major issues and laying the groundwork for replicable solutions.
According to a statement provided to Africa Health Report on Tuesday, the project funded by the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, through Population Services International, aims to transform the private sector market for HIV Self-testing (HIVST) by addressing challenges facing the sector through extensive research to gather insights and perceptions from providers and users in the HIVST market.
The aim of this is to achieve the UNAIDS target of 95:95:95, which professes to reduce the number of people living with HIV worldwide by 95 per cent by the year 2030.
Speaking during her dissemination activities in Abuja, the Managing Director of, Society for Family Health, Dr Omokhudu Idogho, applauded the support from the government and other stakeholders in this drive toward developing a sustainable market with rich private sector support.
He reinstated SFH’s commitment to supporting the government’s total market approach for HIV self-testing.
Also, the project lead for Nigeria, Pharm. Dennis Aizobu, informed the stakeholders of the project results, saying: “We are thrilled to unveil the outcomes of the SHIPS project’s pilot activity and disseminate our valuable findings to stakeholders,” this was achieved “through collaborative efforts and innovative approaches.
“We have laid the groundwork for strengthening HIV self-testing in the private sector. This dissemination meeting will catalyse positive change and pave the way for future scaling of HIVST initiatives.”
