HIV-Tuberculosis

Therome Chery, patient atteint de tuberculose (TB) au Pavillon Thomas J. White de l'hôpital Bon Sauveur à Cange.

L’initiative de Zanmi Lasante pour l’équité en matière de VIH offre un traitement et un soutien pour le VIH en Haïti. 

Our Impact

Pioneering HIV care in Haiti

HIV/AIDS continues to be a major national concern, particularly for at-risk and marginalized populations. According to UNAIDS, in 2018, around 160,000 people in Haiti were living with HIV, and 7,300 new HIV infections were recorded. In the same year, HIV prevalence was 2% among adults aged 15-49, which has been constant since 2006. In 1990, ZL launched the HIV Equity Initiative, one of the world’s first programs to provide antiretroviral treatment in resource-limited settings. Over the years, ZL has become one of the largest providers of HIV care in the departments of Plateau Central and Artibonite.

During the launch of the HIV Equity Initiative, antiretroviral drugs cost around $10,000 per patient per year. ZL started with a core group of 50 patients proving that HIV can be treated in low-resource settings. Using a holistic approach, ZL combines clinical care with social support services; housing, food, school fees, transportation and other basic needs. An extensive network of “accompagnateurs” and multi-skilled community health workers (ASCPs), who create the link between patients and ZL-supported health facilities, play an important role in the program’s success.

  • Clinique
    +100 000
    HIV tests

    performed per year

  • Médecine
    +15 000
    People receiving antiretroviral drugs

    antiretroviral drugs

  • Planche à pince
    +9 000
    Tuberculosis screening tests

    of tuberculosis

Pioneering HIV care in Haiti

In Haiti, ASCPs emphasize the importance of accompanying people on their journey through illness and back to health. Living in the communities where they work, Community Health Agents are trusted and welcomed into patients’ homes to provide high-quality services for a wide range of health problems. ASCPs also ensure that patients have food, shelter and clean water to help them recover and stay healthy. They run education campaigns on topics such as mental health, sexually transmitted diseases and palliative care, and empower community members to take charge of their own health. More than 2,000 ASCPs work within the ZL network.

The program’s priorities are:

  • Screening and treatment
  • Prevention and education
  • Social support
  • Prevention of mother-to-child transmission