Background:
People living with HIV (PLHIV) residing in crisis-prone areas face numerous challenges in accessing and receiving optimal care and treatment. In such contexts, community-led interventions have emerged as a crucial strategy to ensure continuity of care especially in areas where access to health facilities are not feasible due to security challenges or facility shutdown due to crisis. This research study presents a case study of Maternity and Child Health Hospital Gulu, a health center that experienced a six-month shutdown due to the kidnapping of healthcare workers, including the Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) Coordinator, by bandits.
Methods:
This Study employed series of community-led interventions in sustaining care and treatment for PLHIV during the crisis and lockdown of the facility. Peer support, community support groups, and expert clients were leverage by the community case manager to provide community refills, community viral load sample collection, and integrated services like patient biometric capturing for newly identified clients despite the situation of the facility while maintaining the confidentiality of clients in those communities. The collaborations within the communities, facilitated the implementation of various interventions. Community refills allowed for uninterrupted medication access, while community viral load sample collection ensured continued monitoring of treatment efficacy. The integration of additional services, such as patient biometric capturing, further enhanced the comprehensive delivery of healthcare services to clients.
Results:
The case study of Maternity and Child Health Gulu revealed the pivotal role of community-led interventions in ensuring optimal care and treatment for PLHIV. Despite the closure, the center remarkably maintained a Continuation of Treatment (COT) rate of 97%, attributed to the implementation of community-led interventions.
Conclusion:
The findings underscore the significance of community-led interventions as the key to achieving optimal care and treatment outcomes for PLHIV in crisis-prone areas. Despite the health center`s prolonged closure, the sustained COT rate of 97% demonstrates the effectiveness and resilience of community-based approaches. These findings highlight the importance of supporting and empowering communities to actively participate in healthcare delivery systems. Policymakers, healthcare providers, and community stakeholders should recognize and prioritize community-led interventions to ensure continuity of care and treatment for PLHIV in crisis-prone areas, thereby improving health outcomes and overall well-being.
Authors: Uchenna Nwanchor E, Francis Eluke, Musa Salami, Saliu Idris, Etsetowaghan Andrew