NAC Extols AFL …For Placing Emphasis On HIV Index Testing

The National AIDS Commission of Liberia (NAC) has praised the Armed Forces of Liberia for taking the lead in introducing HIV index testing in the country.
Index testing is a form of HIV testing that focuses on family members, including children and partners of people diagnosed with HIV to be offered treatment.
Speaking in Monrovia at the start of a three-day training of trainers for HIV Counselors and service providers, the chairperson of the National AIDS Commission of Liberia, Theodosia Kolee said given the escalating wave of new HIV infections in the country, index testing is a smart strategy to address the impacts of the virus.
Mrs. Kolee expressed delight that the introduction of the index testing by the AFL for the first time in the country would help build trust and guarantee confidentiality in the national HIV response, thereby helping to reduce new infections.
According to the NAC Chairperson, this new form of HIV Counseling and testing strategy being initiated by the Liberian Army with support from the United States Government will aid the identification of more people living with HIV and placing them on treatment in line with the UNAIDS’ fast track approach.
She is hoping that the index testing which seems new, will take a root in the HIV response in reducing sigma, discrimination and lost follow up by persons living with HIV in the country, and that the commission supports the initiative because it is impactful.
“The training came at a time where Liberia is experiencing an unprecedented rise in the level of HIV infections, especially when majority family members do not know the status of their relatives. This situation is contributing to the increased numbers of new HIV infection annually,” the NAC Chairperson said.
She said the opening of the index training signifies the significant role the AFL continue to play in the country’s National HIV response, noting that the AFL has taken the initiative to create awareness on prevention, HIV counselling and testing.
Attended by more than 25 officers of the AFL including HIV counselors and Healthcare providers, was aimed at improving their knowledge and skills in initiating index testing as a strategic direction for ending AIDS by 2030.
Madam Kolee said, “This is crucial and historic in the Armed Forces of Liberia because it is a unique kind of testing in which household (family members, including children) and partners of people diagnosed with HIV are referred or encouraged to seek treatment.”
In remarks, the Chief of Office of Security Cooperation (OSC) at the U.S. Embassy in Liberia, Major Jason Armstrong praised the AFL for its demonstrated commitment in encouraging good health seeking behaviors in the country.
Major Armstrong urged the AFL to remain committed in caring for the people they serve as soldiers, and reiterated the U.S. Embassy’s continuous support to activities of the Liberian Army.
The AFL HIV program has over the years been supported by the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the U.S. government’s response to the global HIV and AIDS epidemic in responding to HIV issues in Liberia.
PEPFAR, a program managed by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), represents the largest commitment by any nation to address a single disease in history.