Despite the decline in HIV-related deaths around the globe, statistics show that almost 1 million people die from HIV/AIDS each year. To mitigate the HIV mortality rate in Nigeria, Caritas Nigeria, through a Mortality Surveillance and Verbal Autopsy workshop in Enugu State, strengthened the capacity of frontline workers in 10 HIV treatment service delivery facilities (SDF) in the state.
Co-facilitated by representatives of the Enugu State Ministry of Health, the training helped participants to understand the causes of deaths among people living with HIV (PLWHIV) and prevent further deaths. Providing an overview of mortality surveillance for PLWHIV and practical sessions, particularly interviews with relatives of deceased PLWHIV, the activity highlighted the challenges that health personnel encounter in the course of service delivery.
Likewise, our team in Delta State, in a related training session, also underscored the role of healthcare workers drawn from selected HIV care & treatment facilities in mitigating HIV-related deaths in the state.
This strategy entails the use of facility data to identify eligible populations among children and adults diagnosed with HIV, conducting interviews on deaths (verbal autopsy) in communities, and accurate documentation of deceased people living with HIV (PLWHIV), while upholding confidentiality, ethics and informed consent.
