HIV/AIDS Voluntary Counseling and Testing

Health Systems 20/20 Develops IVCT Tools for Better Program Implementation

In December 2006, the United Nations General Assembly proposed the hosting of International HIV/AIDS Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) events as an effective way of increasing access to and awareness of VCT services. In response to this proposal, many countries are already conducting, or are in the process of planning, these high-profile national VCT events.

To support governments’ efforts to incorporate VCT into their national HIV/AIDS strategies, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), and others made an urgent request to the Health Systems 20/20 project to develop a tool and resource to help policymakers, program planners, donor representatives, non-governmental, faith-based, and community-based organizations, people living with HIV, technical working groups, and others who plan and participate in national VCT events, successfully implement national VCT events.

The tool, Voluntary Counseling and Testing Events: A Toolkit for Implementers, is a resource countries can draw upon in the process of planning, implementing and evaluating their VCT event. The seven modules presented in the toolkit outline the key steps involved in the process of planning, implementing, and evaluating a VCT event, including: 1) assessment, planning, and costing; 2) management and coordination; 3) publicity and community mobilization; 4) service delivery approaches; 5) logistics and supply chain management; 6) capacity building and training; and 7) monitoring and evaluation.

The resource, VCT Events: Country Case Studies, is a document that profiles the experiences of three countries – Malawi, Ethiopia, and Brazil – in planning, implementing, and evaluating their VCT events. The experiences of Malawi, Ethiopia, and Brazil highlight some of the key issues common to VCT event planning, implementation, and evaluation, including: 1) obtaining support from high-profile leaders; 2) involving key stakeholders in the planning and implementation of the VCT event; and 3) addressing the challenges in supply chain management, human resource capacity, and quality assurance of the VCT process.

Together, the toolkit and country case studies will assist countries in carrying out VCT events that are well planned and contribute to meeting national HIV prevention, treatment, and care targets.