By Abujah Racheal
The Society for Family Health (SFH), non-governmental organisation, has deployed Total Market Approach (TMA), in efforts to achieve the objectives of HIV Self Testing (HIVST).
The SFH said the new approach sought to help grow the private sector market for HIVST to a sustainable stage overtime in Nigeria.
Managing Director of SFH, Dr Omokhudu Idogho, stated this on Tuesday in Abuja, during the Strengthening HIVST in the Private Sector (SHIPS), project market research dissemination meeting.
He said that the approach was essential for the development and facilitation of the private sector market in improving efficiency and access of HIVST through the identification of the market players, the distributors, and the regulators.
“To close the HIV testing gap, SFH through Population Service International (PSI) received funding from Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) to implement the Strengthening HIV Self-testing (HIVST) in the Private Sector (SHIPS) project.
“The two phased projects (Phase 1: November 2020 – October 2021, Phase 2: November 2021- December 2022) is being implemented in three countries: Nigeria, Kenya, and Uganda,” he disclosed.
Dr Idogho said that the organization was working with communities, government, donors and the private sector for Universal Health Coverage (UHC), and social justice for all Nigerians.
He added that the organization used health system strengthening and market development approaches striving to unify the private and public health sector to scale an Essential Package of Health Services (EPHS) offering of good quality to all Nigerians.
The managing director stated that the organization connected its over 30 years of thought leadership in a range of practical community level interventions to policy engagement, to drive scale and population level impact and connect rich and poor Nigerians by expanding access to care/health products.
According to him, the SHIPS Project funded by Children Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF). And as a learning organization will continue to use evidence to drive implementation which in this instance will identify barriers and bottlenecks limiting the growth of the private sector market for HIVST.
He noted that this was with the support from the National AIDS, Sexually Transmitted Infections Control and Hepatitis Programme (NASCP), a division of the Department of Public Health, in the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH), SFH in collaboration with Population Service International (PSI), and Busara Centre for Behavioural Economics conducted qualitative research in July-August 2021 with key end-user and supply side populations of HIVST products.
“The Research carried out in three states of Lagos, Kano, and Anambra, gained an immersive understanding of our target audiences and how they interact with key influencers. In addition, the research identified the barriers and enablers to intervene, especially when it comes to effective use of HIVST, with the purpose of informing both demand and supply side interventions.
Idogho added that, as a forward-looking organization, it would continue to support the government in the healthcare strengthening and market broadening particularly in a post COVID-19 world where healthcare as it where was now personalized.
