PHIA Survey Stories from the Field
Technology yields impressive results in Malawi’s Population-Based HIV Impact Assessment
Tablet technology was a critical part of the Malawi Population-Based HIV Impact Assessment (MPHIA)External
The Malawi population-based HIV impact assessment was led by the Government of Malawi through the Ministry of Health, conducted with funding from the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and technical assistance through the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The survey was implemented by ICAP at Columbia University in collaboration with local partners.
Singing the praises of Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe was the first country to launch the population-based HIV impact assessment (PHIA). The PHIA is the first household survey in Zimbabwe to directly measure national HIV incidence, pediatric HIV prevalence, and viral load suppression, and use of services. The survey provides the sharpest picture to date of the HIV epidemic in the country. In Zimbabwe, survey teams visited approximately 15,000 households across the country to interview consenting participants and provide them with HIV counseling and testing, as well as syphilis testing.
In Zimbabwe, the song, “Knock, Knock, Knock,” was recorded by leading Zimbabwean poets and musicians to share the importance of the PHIA surveys with communities across the country. The song played frequently on the radio and reached cities and rural areas helping to inform communities about the house to house surveys that were happening across the country. “The ZIMPHIA song is a great example of the creative, collaborative approaches to public health promotion that CDC likes to support,” said Beth Tippett Barr, CDC Country Director, Zimbabwe. “It reflects a strong engagement with our national partners.” The success of the effort was evidenced by the nearly 12,000 people who participated in the survey from 2015-2016. Zimbabwe’s creativity and success to date in effectively responding to the HIV epidemic is a model for others working to pave the way toward an AIDS-free generation.
The Zimbabwe population-based HIV impact assessment was led by the Government of Zimbabwe through the Ministry of Health, conducted with funding from the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and technical assistance through the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The survey was implemented by ICAP at Columbia University in collaboration with local partners. Adapted from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health storyExternal
Supporting the next generation of HIV surveillance in Zambia
CDC began work in Zambia in 2000. The country had previously implemented many strategies to address the HIV epidemic, but there was not enough quality data to guide national decision-making and planning. For almost a decade, CDC has worked with the Zambian government and multilateral donors to improve disease surveillance throughout the country. CDC’s earliest involvement was through surveillance which focused on sentinel surveillance and AIDS cases.
Most recently, CDC has been providing technical support to the Government of the Republic of Zambia to establish the next generation of disease surveillance. These surveys focus on improving and expanding existing surveillance methods and include bio behavioral, HIV-case, sexually transmitted infection (STI) and morbidity and mortality surveillance. One example of these surveys is the Zambia population-based HIV Impact Assessment (ZAMPHIA)External
CDC Zambia is excited about the potential of working alongside our partners to bring together these surveillance strategies to better serve the needs of the country and address the HIV epidemic. The Zambia population-based HIV impact assessment was led by the Government of Zambia through the Ministry of Health, conducted with funding from the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and technical assistance through the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The survey was implemented by ICAP at Columbia University in collaboration with local partners.