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Integration of HIV Counseling and Testing into Family Planning Services in Private Health Sector Facilities in Ethiopia

Dessie Ayalew, Meheret Elias, Yesunesh Teshome, Derebe Tadesse, Asfawesen. Gebreyohannes, Tesfai GabreKidan, Kate Cho and Jeanette Kesselman
International Conference on Family Planning, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Presentation

July 8, 2016
The unmet need for family planning (FP) of people living with HIV AIDS in Ethiopia is not well known, however over half are women of reproductive age, and many HIV-infected women want access to FP.

By integrating FP with HIV services in a one-stop shop approach, access to these services becomes more convenient for clients and minimizes missed opportunities for addressing FP needs of HIV clients. This approach helps women clients prevent unintended pregnancies and new HIV infections through prevention-of-mother-to-child-transmission (PMTCT) of HIV, ensures that HIV infected women have access to FP, and provides an opportunity to introduce FP to more men and adolescents who come for other health services.

The contribution of the private health sector in providing FP services in Ethiopia is reported to be 13% and integration of FP and HIV services in the private sector is not well understood. This abstract demonstrates the Private Health Sector Program’s (PHSP) experience in integrating HIV counseling and testing (HCT) with FP services as a best practice in private health facilities.

PHSP is funded by PEPFAR through USAID and is implemented by Abt Global together with the Ministry of Health’s Regional Health Bureaus (RHBs) in five regions and in collaboration with the Town Health Offices (THOs) in two city administrations. PHSP increases the clinical capacity of the private health sector to provide key public health services, such as FP, STIs, TB, comprehensive HIV care, and malaria.