Archive for the ‘maternal mortality’ Category

March 30^th 2011

Currently The Rose Project in partnership with Irish Aid, is funding a three year HIV counselling and testing programme in Lilongwe .  This programme is aimed at bringing counselling and testing to thirty four rural health centres surrounding Lilongwe city. The programme also has a strong focus on prevention of mother to child HIV transmission in pregnancy.

Results recently received from the programme are very promising.

Between September 2008 and Feb 2011:

·         11,605 patients have been referred for anti-retroviral treatment having tested positive at the health centre

·         Of whom  2,941 are pregnant women

·         312,390 people have been tested in total

Part of the programme ensures that those who test negative receive education on life styles-  highlighting the importance of remaining negative. 

This programme is being implemented by our partners at Lighthouse clinic, a clinic funded by The Rose Project in 2006

Lighthouse clinic is a HIV and AIDS outpatient facility which provides healthcare to some of the most economically and socially impoverished people living in the capital city and its surroundings.

This clinic was built by The Rose Project in 2006, to provide HIV counselling, testing and treatment to people living with HIV or Aids.

In 2008, Lighthouse extended its clinical services to the rural areas bringing HIV counselling, testing and treatment to 33 rural health centres surrounding the capital city of Malawi.  So far, 102,568 people have been tested.  Those who are negative attend an education programme which deals with health and lifestyle which focuses on remaining negative.  8230 people who tested HIV positive were referred for treatment of whom 2345 were expectant women.  Placing a HIV positive woman at 36 weeks on treatment almost eliminates the chance of HIV transmission to the baby.

Education is also provided on condom use and since the start of this programme 137, 370 male condoms and 5860 female condoms have been distributed.