Operations Support Services of Early Infant Diagnosis

Timeline: July 2015 – December 2015 | Status: Completed

Bayelsa State, Nigeria

Project Overview

Early Infant Diagnosis is an important component of programmes addressing HIV among mothers and children, providing a pathway for identifying HIV infection among exposed infants and supporting their connection to appropriate care.

The Health Strategy and Delivery Foundation (HSDF) implemented the Operations Support Services of Early Infant Diagnosis project in Bayelsa State between July and December 2015.

Funded by the Business Leadership Council for a Generation Born HIV Free / Born Free, the project provided operational support for Early Infant Diagnosis as part of broader efforts to improve the health response for HIV-exposed infants.

The engagement complemented HSDF's wider work in HIV and public health, particularly initiatives focused on strengthening systems and programmes supporting mothers, infants, and families affected by HIV.

Providing effective services for HIV-exposed infants requires more than the availability of testing. The systems supporting Early Infant Diagnosis must function effectively so that infants who have been exposed to HIV can be identified and supported through the appropriate care pathway.

Operational gaps can affect the ability of health programmes to deliver these services consistently and efficiently, particularly where coordination across different parts of the health system is required.

The project therefore focused on providing operational support to Early Infant Diagnosis activities in Bayelsa State.