CIDRZ, in partnership with the Ministry of Health and with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hosted a dynamic semi-annual planning meeting that brought together health experts and key stakeholders to review progress from the first half of the year, strengthen underperforming facilities and accelerate health outcomes across Chilanga and Kafue districts.

The meeting convened healthcare providers and partner representatives to assess the two districts’ performance for the year’s first two quarters. Discussions centred around enhancing indicator understanding, improving HIV and TB service delivery, and using data insights to shape actionable facility-level interventions.

Kafue District Health Director, Dr Sydney Hamusonde applauded the collaborative efforts across the district and commended health workers for their commitment to improving care. He emphasised the decisive role of index testing, noting that the district had achieved a remarkable 99% acceptance rate among those who offered the service, a testament to the skill and dedication of facility-based counsellors.

“Indexing is a powerful tool, and it brings a lot of positives. When done right, it can transform our HIV case-finding outcomes,” Dr Hamusonde said.

He encouraged health facilities to scale up high-impact interventions such as venue-based testing and hotspot targeting to reach underserved populations like men.

“Let us not just shoot in the air. Instead, let us be specific and strategic. We already know where the hotspots are; let us focus our efforts there,” he urged.

Dr Hamusonde also spoke candidly about the challenges of retaining clients, especially in the face of increased urbanisation and migration, stressing the importance of communication, compassion, and ownership.

“Retaining clients is about how we talk to them. We are counsellors by nature. Let us use that strength to keep people in care,” Dr Hamusonde concluded.