To support the UNAIDS 90-90-90 target and the Vision 2030 to end AIDS by 2030, Active Voices for Sustainable Development Initiative (Active Voices), a Non-Government Organization located in Abuja, Nigeria, with support from Fondation Merieux, France and other local partners officially launches the Anonymous Partner Notification Service (APNS) website portal designed to assist and provide HIV seropositive clients with the alternative of notifying their sexual partners anonymously. The platform was officially launched on World AIDS Day 1 December, 2019.
Annually since 1988, the World AIDS Day is marked globally as a day to unite in the fight against HIV and show support for people living with HIV including a memorial for those who have died from AIDS-related illness. The efforts to reduce the disease burden has been ongoing for many decades, with monumental success recorded in some countries of the world while in others, strategic efforts are being put in place with the hope of achieving success.
Nigeria for instance, a country with a population of over 180 million people and an annual growth rate of 2.7% which accounts for more than 47% of the population in the West Africa sub-region, contributes significantly to the global HIV/AIDs burden with an estimated 1.9 million people age 0-64 years living with HIV but only 67% of those have been tested and know their HIV status.
This figure can be attributed to a couple of factors such as non-disclosure of HIV status by sexual partners, low level of awareness, low uptake of HIV/AIDS services, fear of societal reaction, fear of stigmatization amongst other factors. While the disclosure of HIV-positive status for instance is essential for the prevention, treatment and care of persons living with HIV/AIDS, studies have shown that some HIV seropositive persons refuse or shy away from disclosing their status to their partners.
In Nigeria, a 2017 study revealed that 39% of seropositive women in the study did not disclose their status to their partners and 49% of the 60.4% that disclosed to their partners, only did due to failing health.
In response to this, Active Voices – a non-government organization in Abuja, Nigeria, is currently implementing a project called – Prevention Plus (P+) funded by Fondation Merieux, France and on World AIDS Day, it launched the Anonymous Partner Notification Service (APNS) website portal.
The project which seeks to promote Anonymous Partner Notification as an effective strategy for identifying new cases of HIV infection in Nigeria, has a great potential in aiding the identification, tracing, and notification of the previous/current sexual partners of HIV seropositive clients through an assisted partner notification method utilising E-notification as an offered mode of communication i.e. the APNS web portal.
The Anonymous Partner Notification Service (APNS) web portal is specifically designed to offer tested HIV seropositive clients with the option of notifying their previous or current sexual partner(s) anonymously of their potential exposure to HIV infection through an automated message requesting them to get tested for HIV while referring them to the APNs portal to access information of HIV Testing Services (HTS) of their choice to get tested. The portal is also designed for use by health care providers.
According to the Executive Director of Active Voices, Chiamaka Uzomba, the project will contribute to the first 90 of the UNAIDS 90:90:90 fast track target which is by 2020, all people living with HIV will know their HIV status as well as present a great strategy especially for key population to reach their partners without having to disclose their status.
“It is expected that the project will increase HIV testing among high risk population and provide a comprehensive data base of service providers for the use of the Nigerian populace, she added.As we mark the World AIDS Day today, we encourage Nigerians who are yet to know their HIV status to get tested,” the NGO said in a statement.
For more information on the Prevention Plus project and testing facilities, visit the APNS website
