press releases

New Start Center Network To Expand Hiv Voluntary Testing And Counseling Services

Chongwe
March 23, 2006

Minister of Health, Honorable Sylvia Masebo, United States Ambassador Carmen Martinez, and German Ambassador Dr. Irene Hinrichsen on Thursday, March 23rd officially opened a New Start Counseling and Testing Center in Lusaka and witnessed mobile Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) in Chongwe. The day marked a major expansion of the New Start Center Network and associated New Start Mobile Counseling and Testing (CT) Units throughout Zambia. The United States and German governments are jointly funding the programs through the Society for Family Health (SFH).

With financial support from the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the German government, Society for Family Health (SFH) recently expanded their network, which now includes centers in Kitwe, Chipata, Livingstone, and two centers in Lusaka.

“New Start has long been associated in the minds of many Zambians with affordable, confidential, and reliable counseling and testing services to the public without long waiting periods,” said SFH Executive Director, Cynde Robinson. “We want to utilize the positive reputation of the New Start name to empower Zambians to know their status and live healthy, productive lives, regardless of the results.”

Since New Start first opened its doors to members of the public at its Cairo Road Center in 2002, over 40,000 people have used New Start facilities to learn their status. But with the expanding networks of New Start Centers such as the newly opened Mobile CT units, SFH expects to welcome more than 100,000 people who choose to get counseled and tested at New Start Centers and Mobile Units across the country by 2007. Mobile CT enables people in rural and underserved communities to access the same quality CT service offered in town centers.

The network of New Start Centers is a unique model offering already existing CT centers an opportunity to partner with SFH and become part of the network. In the three centers which currently partner with SFH- Mwami Adventist Hospital in Chipata, Livingstone DHMT, and the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka – people have gained easier access to care and treatment programs such as Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) after getting tested.

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