HIV self test: ILO advocates increase testing at workplace, trains workers in Lagos

As part of its numerous efforts to render assistance to Nigeria in its challenges, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has recently collaborated with stakeholders to scale-up the use of HIV self-testing (HIVST), which is one of the innovative strategies employed to improve HIV case finding in the country.

The collaboration, which centered on training of peer educators in workplaces on the use of HIV self-testing, brought together the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment (FMoLE), National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), the

Federal Ministry of Health, National AIDS/STI Control Programme (NASCP), National Labour Congress (NLC), Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), World Health Organization (WHO), and Johns Hopkins Program for International Education in Gynaecology and Obstetrics (Jhpiego).

In her opening remarks, the Director, ILO Office for Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Liaison office for ECOWAS, Ms. Vanessa Phala, noted that HIV testing initiatives at workplaces have been successful in identifying previously undiagnosed infections. She also hinted that ILO initiative, Voluntary Counselling and Testing for Workers (VCT@ WORK) currently operates in 18 countries in a range of workplaces and industries including Nigeria.

“The initiative has tested more than 4.3 million workers in a span of three and a half years globally including Nigeria – 69 per cent of them men”. She added that HIV self-testing at workplaces gives workers more choices, greater confidentiality and convenience.

Also, the Director Occupational, Safety and Health Department of the FMoLE, Mrs Lauretta Adogu, in her opening remarks expressed satisfaction in the training, saying that implementation of effective HIV testing and access to treatment, across workplaces is not only critical for achieving a robust growth and improved performance, but is also required and necessary for now and for a better future.

On his part, Acting General Secretary of the NLC, Comrade Bello Ismail, welcomed the initiative and encouraged Nigerian workers to access HIV self testing and know their status. He reiterated the NLC’s commitment to collaborate with the ILO to promote a decent, healthy and productive workforce.

Representative of NACA, Dr. Babayemi Olakunde, also stated that the training was apt, and that access to HIVST kits in the workplace will contribute to the country’s effort to ending the HIV epidemic in Nigeria by 2030.

Overall, HIV testing is highly considered the gateway to HIV prevention, treatment, care and other support services. While Nigeria has made significant progress in identifying people living with HIV and enrolling them into care, there is still a huge HIV testing gap, particularly, among men, young people, and key populations.

Some of the common barriers of HIV testing in Nigeria include stigma and discrimination, limited access to healthcare facilities, and long waiting times in the facilities. To increase HIV uptake, Nigeria has adopted the use of HIV self testing (HIVST) as one of the innovative strategies to improve HIV case finding. HIVST refers to a process in which a person collects his or her own specimen (oral fluid or blood) and then performs a HIV test and interprets the result, often in a private setting, either alone or with someone he or she trusts.

The workplace has been identified as an important community delivery channel for HIVST kits to reach workers who do not know their status.

The goals of the training were to: enhance the knowledge of peer educators on HIV and AIDS, particularly on HIV testing and self-testing; enhance understanding about the role of HIV workplace peer educators in the “VCT@WORK Initiative”, including HIV self-testing and follow up to ensure the connection to treatment and care; strengthen skills of peer educators in the promotion of, implementation, and follow up of HIV testing and self-testing to ensure that workers could access HIV testing and treatment in a human rights’ framework; enhance understanding about HIVST indicators and strengthen the capacity of peer educators on HIVST data documentation and reporting.

The workshops had in physical attendance 40 peer educators drawn from the Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government, organised private sector, and labour unions and 30 online participants.

The training sessions, which included didactic teaching, practical demonstration, and group work were facilitated by both local and international resource persons.

Many participants expressed that their training expectations were met and will return to their workplaces better equipped to function effectively as peer educators.