Community Screening Network

Summary:

 

 

The project aims to implement an HIV and other sexual transmitted infections (STI) screening in informal health contexts through the active participation of community-based organizations that will help to develop a platform for collecting, reporting and analyzing accurate data on these infections. It is expected that earlier diagnosis of HIV infection, hepatitis B and C and other STIs will guarantee proper referral to health services and contribute for improving epidemiological surveillance and development of prevention strategies directed to the most vulnerable population, in line with Portuguese Health Plan for HIV/AIDS. One important outcome of this system will be the characterization of affected groups and determination of prevalence rates for every STI tested. This screening system will be available and free to all non-governmental organizations (NGO) for performing a rapid testing, in community settings, ensuring compliance with international good screening practices but also an uniformed referral protocol. In addition, it will be implemented training and supervision practices for technicians from the NGOs included that are currently working with target population (sex workers, men who have sex with men, drug users and migrants), facilitating supportive skills to help people with reactive results and obtaining proper medical care, so that these organizations can act as “Points of Care”. The present project will follow-up, on a six-month basis, cohorts of every vulnerable groups, using a subsample of participants from screening system in order to evaluate modifiable HIV and other infections’ determinants, providing evidence for better support decision makers on STI matters.