Reaching underserved South Africans with integrated chronic disease screening and mobile HIV counselling and testing: A retrospective, longitudinal study conducted in Cape Town.

Abstract

BackgroundCommunity-based, mobile HIV counselling and testing (HCT) and screening for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) may improve early diagnosis and referral for care in underserved populations. We evaluated HCT/NCD data and described population characteristics of those visiting a mobile clinic in high HIV disease burden settings in Cape Town, South Africa, between 2008 and 2016.MethodsTrained counsellors registered patients ≥12 years old at a mobile clinic, which offered HCT and blood pressure, diabetes (glucose testing) and obesity (body mass index) screening. A nurse referred patients who required HIV treatment or NCD care. Using multivariable logistic regression, we estimated correlates of new HIV diagnoses adjusting for gender, age and year.ResultsOverall, 43,938 individuals (50% male; 29% ConclusionFindings demonstrate that mobile clinics providing integrated HCT and NCD screening may offer the opportunity of early diagnosis and referral for care for those who delay screening, including men living with HIV not previously tested.