In partnership with ViiV Healthcare and Positive Action for Children Fund, Chipembere Community Development Organization (CCDO) is carried out the “Accelerating Children’s HIV/AIDS Treatment Initiative (ACT) Project” aimed at Identifying HIV-infected children and linking them to care and treatment at facilities in Malawi, Thyolo district. The project has promoted the identification of and continued care of infants and young children of HIV-positive parents, in order to reduce the number of infants who go undiagnosed or who are diagnosed too late for successful care and treatment. Therefore, the expected overall result from the project is to reduce mortality among HIV-infected infants by as much as 75% upon ART initiation. The project is directly working with 20 community-based organizations (CBOs Volunteers) and 10 Health facilities in Traditional Authorities (T/As) Mchiramwela and Khwethemule in Thyolo district. The project is also introducing income-generating activities through the installation of solar energy boreholes for irrigation farming and poultry production for parents whose children tested positive. This is to improve their health status through the provision of a nutritious diet.

The goal of the project was to reduce mortality among HIV-infected infants by as much as 75% upon ART initiation. The project was directly working with 20 community-based organizations (CBOs Volunteers) and 10 Health facilities in Traditional Authorities (T/As) Mchiramwela and Khwethemule in Thyolo district. The project introduced income-generating activities through the installation of solar energy boreholes for irrigation farming and poultry production for parents whose children tested positive. This was to improve their health status through the provision of a nutritious diet. Other activities conducted were; Orientation meetings with Community Health Workers /Volunteers, community awareness on PMTCT and Paediatric HIV healthcare and defaulter tracing, Formation of a Community committee on land identification for solar Irrigation farming, and Radio Talk Shows on Pediatric HIV/AIDS

The project promoted the identification of and continued care of infants and young children of HIV-positive parents, it also reduced the number of infants who go undiagnosed or those who are diagnosed too late for successful care and treatment. The project reduced the level of mortality among HIV-infected infants in Thyolo district upon ART initiation.