The Ministry of Health Zambia and Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ) recently attended a vital in-person meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, for stakeholders of the Global Fund HIV Self-Testing (HIVST) Matching Fund.
This gathering brought together representatives from low and middle-income countries, technical assistance providers, World Health Organization (WHO), the Global Fund, and the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation to strategise on advancing HIV self-testing efforts.
Through this initiative, Zambia, along with six other countries, is expanding HIV self-testing to increase accessibility and identify more HIV cases. The meeting also provided a valuable platform for cross-country learning, fostering knowledge exchange and collaboration among the participants. 
Dr Natalie Vlahakis shared vital points from the meeting, noting that countries are encouraged to adopt blood-based HIV self-testing (HIVST) at both community and facility levels. She said that while the cost of HIVST has dropped (with WHO-approved options available for as little as $1), further price reductions are still necessary.
She encouraged integrating HIVST into other programs such as PrEP, maternal and child health, and family planning.
Additionally, Dr Vlahakis called for stronger monitoring and evaluation systems for HIVST within existing HIV testing services, innovative approaches to returning results, and strategies to sustain HIV testing amid funding cuts.
Dr Vlahakis, Dr James Zulu from CIDRZ and Ms Sundano Lubasi from the Ministry of Health represented Zambia, contributing insights and aligning on national HIVST goals.
