An International Research
Consortium to Maximise
Benefits & Equity of HIV
Treatment & Care Systems

Evidence for Action has announced funding for four new small research projects looking into various aspects of HIV treatment and care, involving collaboration between the partners. The projects to be funded are:

• Identifying and minimising the gap between knowledge, policy and practice in relation to use of Cotrimoxazole prophylaxis in adult and paediatric HIV care
• Shifts in home-based care for PLHA in the era of ART
• The role of Global Health Initiatives in the implementation of ARV roll-out in Copperbelt province in Zambia – twinning of UK and Zambian researcher
  
• Assessment of the frequency, distribution and predictors of health-care service use of patients initiating ART in Goa, India and Uganda

The results of a country-wide survey of HIV/AIDS services in Malawi for the year 2006 were released in July 2007, showing a significant increase in the number of patients tested for HIV in 2006 compared to previous years, and a large increase in the number of patients initiating ART. The survey was carried out by Evidence for Action partner Lighthouse, along with the national HIV Unit and CDC Malawi.

Evidence for Action partners met in Malawi on 3^rd-5^th July 2007 for the Second Annual Consortium Meeting. Issues discussed at the meeting included an overview of the first year of the programme; the results of the Situation Analysis; current and future research on each of the themes; overlap with other groups’ work; communications; capacity strengthening; and management and administration of the programme. Participants also visited local clinics offering HIV treatment and care.