Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT)

Counseling and testing (CT) is one of the most rapidly expanding HIV program services in the world. Appealing the increased demand is the recognition of CT's role in both preventing new HIV infections and increasing access to care and treatment (including antiretroviral therapy).
Family Health International has supported CT since 1997 with tools, strategies, and technical documents, technical assistance, and program implementation. In more than 25 countries, FHI's current CT programs support in-country counterparts and communities, including people living with HIV or AIDS, to develop culturally appropriate and client-centered services. It works with local government organizations and NGOs to establish and expand services, and providing global guidance on how to tailor services in different settings for different objectives. Regardless of the model or approach, FHI believes CT services must be provided within a human rights framework.

Essential policy actions for HIV prevention

1.) Ensure that human rights are promoted, protected and respected and that measures are taken to eliminate discrimination and combat stigma.

2.)Build and maintain leaderships from all sections of the society, including the government, affected communities, non-governmental organizations, faith-based organizations, the education sector, media, the private sector and trade unions.

3.)Involve people living with HIV in the design, implementation and evaluation of prevention strategies, addressing the distinct prevention needs.

4.)Address cultural norms and beliefs, recognizing both the key role they may play in supporting prevention efforts and the potential they have to fuel HIV transmission.

5.)Promote gender equality and address gender norms and relations to reduce the vulnerability of women and girls, involving men and boys in this effort.

6.)Promote widespread knowledge and awareness of how HIV is transmitted and how infections can be averted.

7.)Promote the links between HIV prevention and sexual and reproductive health.

8.)Support the mobilization of community-based responses throughout the continuum of prevention, care and treatment.

9.)Promote programmes targeted at HIV prevention needs of key affected groups and populations.

10.)Mobilizing and strengthening financial, human and institutional capacity across all sectors, particularly in the health and education area.

11.)Review and reform legal frameworks to remove barriers to effective, evidence based HIV prevention, combat stigma and discrimination and protect the rights of people living with HIV or vulnerable or at risk to HIV.

12.)Ensure that sufficient investments are made in the research and development of, and advocacy for, new prevention technologies.