HIV and TB Overview: Haiti

At a glance

CDC works with partners in Haiti to strengthen the country's public health and clinical systems. CDC delivers quality HIV testing and treatment services and responds to emerging public health threats.

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Background

CDC began working with Haiti’s Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP) in 2002 to address the growing HIV/AIDS epidemic. Initially focused on prevention and treatment services, CDC’s HIV work expanded to include:

  • Laboratory systems strengthening.
  • Health information systems.
  • Workforce development and capacity building.
  • Integrated HIV and tuberculosis (TB) clinical services.

Currently, CDC and partners are using data-driven, evidence-based strategies to accelerate efforts to achieve HIV epidemic control. This entails:

  • Identifying undiagnosed people living with HIV (PLHIV).
  • Increasing the number of PLHIV enrolled and retained on antiretroviral treatment (ART).
  • Improving viral suppression and TB preventive treatment (TPT) coverage.

Download CDC Haiti's Fact Sheet‎

Learn more about CDC's global HIV and TB work in Haiti.

HIV and TB Data

HIV/AIDS

Estimated HIV Prevalence (Ages 15-49)

Estimated AIDS Deaths (Age≥15)

Estimated Orphans Due to AIDS

Reported Number Receiving Antiretroviral Therapy (Age≥15)

Tuberculosis (TB)

Estimated TB Incidence

TB Patients with Known HIV-Status who are HIV-Positive

TB Treatment Success Rate

Key activities and accomplishments

Surveillance and health information systems

CDC increased access to strategic information by supporting the development of integrated health management information systems. This includes an electronic medical record (EMR) system national case-based surveillance system. EMR allows monitoring, evaluation, and biometric coding linkage to the national HIV database.

HIV case finding

CDC intensifies efforts to identify undiagnosed PLHIV with optimized testing strategies, including assisted self-testing activities and index testing. This approach targets the exposed contacts of persons diagnosed with HIV for testing services.

People at higher risk of HIV

CDC is reaching people at higher risk of HIV with comprehensive HIV services via drop-in centers and peer educator networks. These groups, alongside medical personnel, conduct.

  • HIV screening.
  • Social networking (an evidence-supported approach to engage and motivate a person to accept HIV testing).
  • HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) eligibility.
  • Linkage to treatment for clients with HIV diagnosis.

Linkage to care

CDC supported MSPP in implementing the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Test and Start strategy in 2016. The strategy ensures immediate ART eligibility for all patients with an HIV diagnosis. Haiti was one of the first countries in the region to roll out Test and Start successfully. At the end of fiscal year (FY) 2021, close to 125,000 PLHIV were active in treatment. 79 percent of the PLHIV were within CDC-supported networks (Haiti Monitoring, Evaluation, and Surveillance Interface [MESI], iSanté EMR system).

Treatment retention

CDC’s partners offer differentiated service delivery models. This includes multi-month dispensation of ART, home and flexible community drug distribution, fixed drug distribution points in the community.

At the end of FY 2021, 97 percent of PLHIV received ART via multi-month dispensation (DATIM, MESI, iSanté EMR system). CDC launched a mobile patient tracing application used nationally to identify and trace clients who missed appointments or experienced treatment interruption.

Laboratory systems strengthening

CDC continues to strengthen the National Public Health Laboratory (LNSP) through various approaches. This includes supporting the decentralization of targeted services to other laboratories. With CDC support, LNSP is a national leader in HIV diagnostics. This includes early infant diagnosis and HIV viral load testing for treatment monitoring.

CDC has a reinforced laboratory logistics called the National Specimen Referral Network. This tracks and transports biologic specimens from facilities and other collection points to regional and central laboratories for processing. Over 98,000 ART patients received a viral load test and results in FY 2021 (DATIM, MESI, iSanté EMR system).

CDC provided technical assistance in TB diagnostic practices and procedures and supported the renovation of the LNSP TB laboratory. This allowed them to meet international norms for a TB containment laboratory.

Quality assurance

CDC continues to lead the Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) methodology and implementation for the HIV response. CDC supports quality assurance and improvement activities for HIV rapid testing (RT-CQI). These activities aim to promote the reliability and accuracy of HIV rapid testing.

TB and HIV

CDC has provided technical assistance on the integration of short-course TPT regimens (1HP and 3HP) in the national guidelines. In FY 2022:

  • 91 percent of PLHIV completed TPT.
  • 93 percent of TB patients received an HIV test.
  • 99 percent of patients with TB-HIV co-infection received ART (DATIM, MESI, iSanté EMR system).

Resources

Support for CDC's global HIV and TB efforts.‎

CDC's Division of Global HIV & TB activities are implemented as part of the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Non-HIV related TB activities are supported by non-PEPFAR funding.

Our success is built on the backbone of science and partnerships.