VCCT – National Aids Secretariat (NAS)

The National HIV and AIDS Control Program started the provision of VCCT services in 2003. As an initial step in the establishment of VCCT sites, the services of Family Health International (FHI) were consulted to assess the existing sites and develop a national VCCT Guideline and training manual.
The primary objective of VCCT has been prevention, to influence behaviour change and prevent transmission of HIV. Many people need to know and understand their HIV status. However, availability of the service in The Gambia was restricted and when it was made available initially, uptake was relatively low. Most of those seeking to know their were clinically ill. People were reluctant to go for VCCT because the drugs and psychosocial support were not available and also, there was no community support and legal framework to address stigma and discrimination
The increased commitment of the government of The Gambia to the provision of VCCT service and the availability of free antiretroviral drugs has led to increased uptake of VCCT services and a reduction in the level of stigma. There are currently xxx counselling and testing sites all over the country. HIV testing is free at all the sites and the rapid HIV antibody test kits are utilized.

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