{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,14]],"date-time":"2026-10-14T06:18:13Z","timestamp":1791958693138,"version":"4.3.4"},"reference-count":52,"publisher":"BMJ","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,15]],"date-time":"2025-10-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1760486400000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":106,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, under U.S. President\u2019s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief","award":["1U2GGH001150"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["1U2GGH001150"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["bmj.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["bmjph"],"accepted":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,3]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,7]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The availability of HIV guidelines, infrastructure, essential medicines and diagnostic tests for HIV services is a prerequisite to effective universal test-and-treat (UTT) services. However, evidence on public facility readiness for UTT services in rural, high HIV prevalence areas remain limited. This study provides a snapshot of facility readiness for UTT services in selected public health facilities within the uThukela district, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A cross-sectional survey was conducted at 15 healthcare facilities in the uThukela district, KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. Data were collected from public primary healthcare points, including three mobile clinics, three gateway clinics and nine Outpatient Departments, Community Health Centres and Hospitals (OPD-CHC-H). Questionnaires were programmed into Research Electronic Data Capture. Analysis was performed using STATA Software V.18, and results were summarised in percentages (%) and presented in tables and graph.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The study highlights gaps in UTT services in uThukela district, with variability in infrastructure availability across health facility types. Mean readiness was 86% (95% CI: 77.6% to 92.1%) for OPD-CHC-H; 70% (95% CI: 60.0% to 78.7) for gateway clinics and 67% (95% CI: 56.8% to 76.0%) for mobile clinics. Mean availability of indicators for basic amenities was 61% (95% CI: 50.7% to 70.5%); 90.4% (95% CI: 82.3% to 95.0%); and 80.9% (95% CI: 70.8% to 87.3%) in mobile clinics, gateway clinics, and OPD-CHC-H, respectively. HIV test kits, palliative care guidelines and improved water sources was limited across all facility types. Overall, facility readiness was 74% (95% CI: 64.2% to 82.2%), which was deemed satisfactory according to WHO-Service Availability and Readiness Assessment criteria.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      Persistent shortages in antiretrovirals, HIV test kits, palliative care guidance and logistics\/operations hinder care; integrating HIV testing into routine screenings, expanding self-testing and adopting digital and personalised care models can ease burdens and improve outcomes\n                      <jats:named-content content-type=\"\">Cite Now<\/jats:named-content>\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjph-2025-002605","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,16]],"date-time":"2025-10-16T08:10:28Z","timestamp":1760602228000},"page":"e002605","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/crossmarkpolicy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Assessing the preparedness of primary healthcare facilities for the implementation of universal test and treat in uThukela District, South Africa: a cross-sectional study"],"prefix":"10.1136","volume":"3","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3722-1547","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Eunice","family":"Turawa","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Burden of Disease Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa"},{"name":"Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4006-1858","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Wisdom","family":"Basera","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Burden of Disease Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mbuzeleni","family":"Hlongwa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Public Health, Societies and Belonging, Human Sciences Research Council, Pretoria, Guateng, South Africa"},{"name":"School of Nursing and Public Health, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6807-9574","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Thubelihle","family":"Mathole","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Burden of Disease Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa"},{"name":"School of Public Health, University of Western Cape, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3588-2184","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Debbie","family":"Bradshaw","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Burden of Disease Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6019-9259","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Edward","family":"Nicol","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Burden of Disease Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa"},{"name":"Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"239","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,15]]},"reference":[{"key":"2026010703070410000_3.2.e002605.1","unstructured":"UNAIDS . 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