Voluntary HIV Counselling and Testing (VCT)

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Voluntary HIV Counselling and Testing (VCT)

• Shumskaya Natalya
• Project manager, AFEW in Kyrgyz Republic

Warsaw, Poland, 1112 November 2005
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AIDS Foundation East-West (AFEW)

• Dutch
• Non-governmental
• Humanitarian
• Public Health

Organisation
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AFEWs Mission Statement

• AFEWs mission is to make a major contribution
  to the reduction of the impact of HIV/AIDS by
• Taking an innovative and proactive approach
• Targeting the younger generation
• Co-operating closely with existing governmental
  structures and NGOs
• Strengthening East-West engagement

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Programmes

• Harm reduction training
• Pre- and post-HIV test counselling training
• Prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV
  (PMTCT)
• HIV prevention and health promotion among sex
  workers
• Media campaigns on safe sex, and solidarity with
  people living with HIV/AIDS
• HIV prevention and health promotion in prisons

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AFEW Starts Work in Central Asia With Pre- and
Post-HIV Test Counselling Project

• In 2002 AFEW launched its first project on
  training medical specialists to perform pre- and
  post-HIV test counselling in Almaty.
• Today, specialists from medical and social
  organisations in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
  Tajikistan and Uzbekistan have the opportunity to
  attend AFEW counselling training sessions.
• Our aim is to promote and improve pre- and
  post-HIV test counselling in the region.

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What is Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT)?
WHO definition- VCT is a cost-effective method
of intervention which will increase Health
Literacy and Ability among people who are at risk
of contracting HIV. It is a highly effective
entry point to prevention, treatment and support
services.- VCT is a confidential dialogue
between a counsellor and a client. This dialogue
aims to support clients in making informed,
responsible, and effective decisions regarding
his/her future plans and behaviours concerning
HIV/AIDS.
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What are the target problems that our programmes
aim to solve?

• Although nobody opposes VCT
• Most specialists and clients do not understand
  the concept of confidentiality it is usually
  confused with anonymity.
• Many specialists have very limited communication
  skills and limited access to most at-risk
  communities.
• Groups that are most at risk have poor or no
  Health Literacy, so they are unable to make
  effective decisions to protect themselves from
  contracting HIV.

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How AFEW Tackles These Challenges

• Counsellor Training
• By October 2005, 332 counsellors will have been
  trained in the Central Asian Republics (CAR).
• Trainer Training
• By October 2005, 49 counselling trainers will
  have been trained.
• Combining training with support of a service
  system, organisational development and
  behavioural change interventions targeting youth
  (such as mass media campaigns)
• TMF Project Development of client management
  networking in CAR, including support for
  self-organisations of PLWHA
• IBPP (Kaz) Support of stakeholders to develop
  effective strategic plans uniting counselling
  training with mass media campaigns to attract
  more at-risk youth to VCT services

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Pre- and Post-HIV Test Counselling

• PROJECT GOAL
• Reduce the impact of HIV/AIDS in the Aktobe
  and Taraz regions of Kazakhstan through the
  professional, sustainable and adaptive mechanism
  of counselling, and through the creation of a
  national team of counselling trainers, who can
  then implement the programme locally.

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AFEWs Role

• By working closely with local NGOs and
  government organisations, AFEW hopes to create a
  solid structure for HIV prevention.

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Purpose of Training and Seminars

• Strengthen knowledge and skills in different
  aspects of pre- and post-HIV test counselling.
• Continue to promote the introduction of practical
  activities in the framework of various AFEW
  projects.

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Content of the Training Programme

• The training programme consists of the following
  components
• Medical
• Pre- and post-HIV test counselling
• Counsellor training and future trainers

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Medical component

• Basic information on HIV
• Ways of HIV transmission
• Clinical questions
• Treatment
• Local particularities
• Legislation of CIS countries and recommendations
  of international organisations on HIV/AIDS

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Pre- and Post-HIV Test Counselling

• - What is counselling?
• - Who can provide counselling services?
• - Where are these services provided?
• - What are the conditions under which counselling
  can be held?
• - What information is available for clients?

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Training for Counsellors and Future Trainers

• Training definition, history, objects and
  principles
• Methods of working with group
• Skills of training activity
• Creating of training program
• Planning, organization, conduct and evaluation of
  training

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Evaluation of Training Effectiveness

• Evaluation criteria
• Level of knowledge and practical skills obtained
• Change of attitude towards subject and clients
• Willingness of participants to apply their new
  knowledge, skills and abilities in practice

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Brochure to Attract Youth
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Memo for Counsellors
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Street Billboard to Attract Youth
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Thank you for your attention!
AIDS Foundation East-West (AFEW)
Tel. [phone], fax [phone]
47 E-mail natalya_shumskaya_at_afew.org Web site
www.afew.org