Reducing new HIV infections by optimizing HIV prevention services with a focus on key populations: The Sri Lanka National STI/AIDS Control Programme (NSACP) launched the National Condom Strategy 2016-2021 with the support of the Ministry of Health (MoH) and the UN Joint Programme on AIDS ensuring the availability of quality condoms, either free of charge or at an affordable price through an effective and responsive service delivery system. With the support of UNAIDS, Sri Lanka also established the United Youth Consortium for AIDS, a youth based organisation aiming to raise awareness about HIV infection and HIV-related discrimination and stigma, especially among young people. Also, the national plan on the elimination of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) onset in 2012 enabled the number of new infections to be greatly reduced, with a current total testing coverage of 74%. Sri Lanka looks forward to achieving 98% testing by 2016, following technical and financial support from the UN Joint Programme since 2014 in mobilising resources to procure HIV rapid test kits to initiate HIV testing among pregnant women.
Optimising HIV diagnosis and facilitating access to HIV testing and counselling: WHO helped Sri Lanka to hold workshops in both healthcare and non-healthcare settings, to promote HIV testing and counselling, through the Annual Scientific Sessions of Sri Lanka College of Venereologists. This forum helped strengthening social dialogues on HIV testing in support of the Continuous Medical Education Programme of the country. Sri Lanka also implemented the Saliva based HIV Rapid Test pilot with the participation of the UNJPA , the NSACP and other stakeholders, that will be introduced to the Global Fund New Funding Model upon positive results. Also, the country is strongly committed to reach the first 90% target that all people living with HIV will know their HIV status by 2020. To this end, a car rally was organized in at least 10 locations in the capital city with the slogan “Test today”, thanks to the joint collaboration of the NSACP, the Ministry of Health and the Joint Programme on AIDS.