MaxART Project

The MaxART project is designed to contribute to the National HIV/AIDS Programme, supported by in-country partner organisations, to strengthen Swaziland's health system to prevent new infections and care for those in need of treatment. It also implements social science research to better understand the realties on the ground and modelling to estimate the impact of a Treatment as Prevention approach in Swaziland.

The project activities include the following.

• Community Mobilisation: Communities are being mobilised to encourage people to have an HIV test and access care and treatment. Community-based organisations, traditional leaders, and networks of people living with HIV are supported to interact with and respond to the needs of the affected communities of Swaziland. According to STOP AIDS NOW!, involving traditional leaders is an effective method to mobilise communities in Swaziland, and thus contribute to the reduction of new HIV infections and keep communities healthy. SAfAIDS is working to strengthens the capacity of traditional leaders, including religious and political leaders, to empower them as promoters of HIV testing, treatment, and counselling. As traditional leaders can set an example, stimulate conversation, and mobilise behaviour change, they are fully involved in community dialogues. The methodology engages women, youth, and men – first separately, then collectively – in issues that affect them and the community.
  
  In addition, community-based organisations (CBOs) and the Swaziland Ministry of Health work with volunteers and rural health motivators to promote access to HIV testing and treatment services, and to ensure a supportive context for treatment adherence. MaxART partner SAfAIDS is working to build the capacity of 16 partners, including the Swaziland Ministry of Health, CBOs, and the Swaziland Business Coalition on HIV and AIDS (SWABCHA). SWABCHA trains peer educators to mobilise their peers and employees at the workplace and to encourage them to make use of on-site testing and counselling.
• Responding to the Realities and Needs on the Ground: The MaxART project responds to the realities and needs of people living with HIV, including stigma, discrimination, barriers to access health services, and socio-economic circumstances. The programme pays specific attention to two hard to reach groups: men and youth.
• Reaching Out to Youth and Men: The MaxART project reaches out to youth and men to stimulate the uptake of HIV testing, care, and treatment. This includes men-only dialogues and Male-Focussed Health Days. Community Teen Clubs are being established to support youth to be informed and understand the issues related to HIV testing, care, and treatment. The Clubs are for all youth - HIV positive and HIV negative - as well as in-and-out-of-school youth. Youths receive club cards to encourage them to attend the monthly meetings. With leadership of the Ministry of health, Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) in collaboration with community partners launched Fast Track, which is a problem-solving approach to mobilise communities and fully involve individuals in local issues. Within an implementation period of only 90 days, communities are empowered to take practical action in addressing a major problem. Fast Track in Swaziland is focused on increasing the uptake of HIV testing among men and adolescents.
• Bringing Services Closer to People: To ensure that people living with HIV live longer and healthier lives, the MaxART project as part of the Swaziland National AIDS Programme (SNAP) together with other implementing partners brings HIV testing and treatment services closer to the people of Swaziland.
• Implementation Study on Treatment as Prevention: The MaxART project includes an implementation study on Treatment as Prevention in a real-life setting. According to STOP AIDS NOW!, research demonstrates that giving people living with HIV the opportunity to be treated at an early stage of the disease considerably reduces the likelihood of transmitting HIV – by as much as 96%. Moreover, mathematical models predict that large-scale testing and early treatment results in a 50% drop of new infections over a period of ten years.
• Realising Human Rights: The MaxART project is championing human rights in Swaziland by building rights literacy amongst people living with HIV, encouraging respect of individual rights, and promoting referrals and social support to address human rights violations. Just before the launch of the MaxART programme, a PLHIV Stigma Index was conducted, which measures stigma and discrimination as experienced by people living with HIV. The Stigma Index focuses on stigma as a key obstacle for HIV prevention, testing, treatment, care, and support.

People can keep informed about the project through the MaxART newsletter [PDF] and access resources on the MaxART website.

Click here for more information on MaxART.

HIV/AIDS

According to STOP AIDS NOW!, over the past decade, the Kingdom of Swaziland has been severely affected by a generalised HIV epidemic. With an estimated population of 1.2 million, approximately 25.9% are living with HIV. While Swaziland has made significant efforts to control the HIV epidemic, the country's prevalence rate remains among the highest in the world. Research demonstrates that giving people living with HIV the opportunity to be treated at an early stage of the disease considerably reduces the likelihood of transmitting HIV – by as much as 96%. Moreover, mathematical models predict that large-scale testing and early treatment results in a 50% drop of new infections over a period of ten years.