HIV & Health Support for Lake Tanganyika Villagers

Over the past few months there has been a change in personnel due to the health circumstances of 2 nurses who were part of the medical team. This change in personnel has meant that new team members have needed to undergo training to be able to use the portable CD4 Cell count machine. Four people have successfully completed this mandatory training, including 2 personnel from the local MOH Government Clinic in Mpulungu.

In 2015 the team aim to conduct 9 village trips each one lasting 3 days. During these trips villagers living in communities along Lake Tanganyika will be offered HIV services to include; HIV testing, CD4 Cell count testing and ART.

On each trip 3 medical personnel from the local Government clinic will participate in the delivery of these services.

Here is a story demonstrating the impact of this service for people living in remote and hard to reach communities.

During one village trip an expectant mother attended the clinic requesting a HIV test so that she could know her status. She shared how she did not have the finances to travel by boat to the local Government Clinic in Mpulungu to access the Ante Natal Clinic where she would have been offered HIV testing. She received counselling and then the HIV test was performed giving a positive result. After receiving post- test counselling she was then offered a CD4 cell count test, to which she agreed. Having the portable CD4 machine meant that the team were immediately able to test her CD4 cell count, gaining a result in 20mins and then commence her onto an appropriate ART. Although upset that she had newly discovered her HIV status, she was glad to receive treatment that would reduce the risk of Mother To Child Transmission.