Implementing an enhanced peer outreach approach to expand reach of HIV services among key populations

The Linkages across the Continuum of HIV Services for Key Populations Affected by HIV (LINKAGES) project developed an enhanced peer outreach approach (EPOA) to expand the delivery of HIV prevention, testing and treatment services to key populations including female sex workers, men who have sex with men, and transgender people who have not previously engaged in HIV programs. Since early 2017, more than 21 countries have implemented EPOA to reach key population individuals who have not engaged in an HIV program and link them to testing and treatment, if positive. Early EPOA findings from Burundi, Cote d’Ivoire and the Democratic Republic of Congo recently published in PLOS ONE show a higher statistically significant level of HIV case finding with those who were tested through EPOA compared to standard testing. Given that all HIV programs are striving to reach the UNAIDS 90-90-90 goals – 90% of people living with HIV know their status, 90% of those infected with HIV are on treatment, and 90% of those on treatment are virally suppressed – it is important to share our results with others.