Authors
L. Cosmaro (1), S. Curridori (1), S. Penon (1), M. Cernuschi (2), D. Calzavara (3), P. Russo (3), M. Prandelli (3), P. Meli (4), I. Mercurio (4)
Affiliation
(1) Fondazione LILA, Milano, Milan, Italy, (2) ASA Milano, Milan, Italy, (3) Milano Checkpoint, Milan, Italy, (4) Bergamo Fast-track City, Bergamo, Italy
ABSTRACT
Background: The three pillars for achieving the 95-95-95 UNAIDS targets are early ARV treatment for all, preventive measures such as PrEP and increased HIV testing to detect undiagnosed ongoing infections. The latter pillar is difficult to achieve, as vulnerable groups unaware of their HIV status may encounter difficulties in taking the first step towards testing at healthcare services. Community-Based Voluntary Counseling and Testing (CBVCT) centers are an alternative option that can intercept clients unwilling to seek testing elsewhere. This retrospective study focuses on testing data collected by Italian CBVCT services that joined the COBATEST network in the period 2020-2023.
Material and methods: To measure CBVCT activity in Italy, data provided by the COBATEST database were analyzed. COBATEST links organizations across Europe and Central Asia that offer CBVCT services for HIV and STIs, and promotes testing, early diagnosis and linkage to care in at-risk populations. COBATEST offers a common instrument to gather information on clients and a comprehensive database from which the data for this study were extracted, to highlight the increase in participation of Italian CBVCTs and give a descriptive analysis of data collected on HIV tests performed.
Results: From 2020 to 2023, the Italian CBVCT centers joining the COBATEST network increased from 2 to 25, covering different Italian regions and determining a consequent rise in number of tests performed. In 2020, 1135 people who had never tested before were tested for HIV; this number raised to 7411 in 2023 (figure 1). Reactive tests detected raised from 6 in 2020 to 35 in 2023; the proportion of reactive HIV tests remained stable ranging from 0.4 to 0.5 percent (figure1). The number of tests increased not only due to the increase in Italian organizations joining the COBATEST network, but also because these services incremented, year by year, their testing offer (figure 2).
Conclusions: HIV testing at CBVCT services adhering to COBATEST has increased over the years of the study period. This highlights increased awareness of alternative ways for HIV testing and counseling services; furthermore, it underscores the importance of having a variety of community testing centers that succeed in reaching vulnerable populations. Between 2020-2023, 82 new HIV diagnoses were made thanks to the CBVCT centers included in this study, confirming that community-based activities can significantly contribute to the 95-95-95 goal. Being part of an international network offers the opportunity to collect standardized data that reflect the national situation and to plan more effective actions. The contribution of CBVCT centers and their social relevance should be acknowledged by policy makers and their work should be adequately supported economically. In conclusion, our analysis highlights the relevance of CBVCT services in actively contributing to HIV testing and prevention strategies.
Allegato: Poster presentato alla conferenza
Lavoro presentato in occasione di ICAR 2024 - Italian Conference on AIDS and Antiviral Research
