Use of a linkage register improves enrolment into care for HIV exposed and infected infants

Author: 
Dr. Cordelia Katureebe
Date: 
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Topics: 
PMTCT
Hospital: 
General
Context: What was the issue or process affected? What was the root cause of the challenge?: 

Despite increased testing for HIV exposed infants, linkage and enrolment into care was low. Project data revealed that only 50% of HIV exposed infants were linked to care and 25% of infected infants were linked.

What Happened: How was the challenge or gap addressed or improved?: 

Teams at the Maternal, Newborn and Child Health units developed a linkage register to aid in training identified HIV exposed infected infants

Nugget: What is the lesson for others?: 

Use of a linkage register by midwives and clinicians in the ART clinic improves enrolment of HIV exposed and infected infants into care

Impact: What are the results of applying the nugget?: 

  • Linkage and enrollment into care for HIV exposed infants improved from 50% to 73% from December 2011 to June 2013
    Linkage and enrollment into cate for HIV infected infants improved from 25% to 89% from December 2011 to June 2013
Implementation: What steps are needed to apply the lesson?: 

  • Following orientation of health workers on WHO 2010 guidelines, the teams identified the gap
  • Process teams developed changes around improvement in linkage and enrolment
  • Improved use of a counter book to document referral status of children from ANC to ART clinics
Action: Who is this for? Where does this nugget to go next?: 

All healthcare providers in MNCH, ANC and ART clinics

Contact: 
Birungi Lillian, Sister Evans (Fort Portal RRH) Sister Atia Ruth (Soroti RRH) Dr, Cordelia Katurebe (SUSTAIN) ckatureebe@urc-chs.com;