Theme: Models of Care Year: 2022
Background:
After the announcement of UNAIDS 95’s goals, continuum care gained relevance. It is necessary to
adapt the treatment of infections to specific populations and the effectiveness of this procedure
increases when people are met at the places where they are at. The municipality of Oeiras, as a Fast
Track City, follows this strategy. These data are the result of the efforts of two of the consortium
partners – SER+, Portuguese Association for AIDS Challenge and Prevention and ETET (Specialized
Technical Treatment Team) Oeiras/Cascais.
Methods:
This intervention aims to track the entire drug-using population (PWUD) monitored at the ETET
(n=885). The present results were collected between 05/10/2021-12/31/2021 and included 238 ETET
clients. They were voluntarily screened with rapid, anonymous and free tests for HIV, HVC, HVB and
Syphilis, at the ETET and at the SER+ mobile unit.
All reactive results were referred to treatment, and those previously diagnosed were reconnected.
Follow-up with a peer was proposed for linkage to care.
Results:
130/238 people were tested for HVC: 16/130 reactive – 2/16 cured, 2/16 on direct-acting antiviral
(DAA), 7/16 in treatment, 5/16 abandoned treatment. 108/238 were not tested for HVC: 26/108
diagnosed for HVC but not in treatment – 2/26 cured; 4/26 on DAA; 9/26 in treatment; 11/26
abandoned treatment.
207/238 tested for HIV: no reactive results. 31/238 were not tested for HIV: 4/31 diagnosed and
untreated – all of them currently on ART.
220/238 tested for HVB: 1/220 reactive. 18/238 not tested for HVB: 1/18 has HVB.
224/238 tested for Syphilis: no reactive results.
Conclusion:
This intervention proved to be very useful to increase knowledge of serological status and linkage to
care, with important health gains. The results show that a high percentage of people were
reconnected to care. Cooperation and networking between consortium partners was essential to
scale up the intervention.
Disclosure of Interest Statement:
No grants were received for this abstract.