Center for Health Market Innovations (CHMI)

Programs

Community Access and Adherence Program

last updated Jan 20, 2012

Overview

Implementing organization: 
Absolute Return for Kids (ARK)
Legal Status: 
Private (not-for-profit)
Year Launched: 
2004
Stage: 
Existing/expansion stage
Income Level of Target Population: 
Bottom 20%

Funding

Primary Source of Funding: 
Donor

Scale

Personnel Employed: 
100<
Number of Clients Served: 
approximately 5000/year
Summary: 

The Community Access and Adherence Program trains unskilled community workers to ensure that HIV patients adhere to their treatment regimens.

Key program components: 

The National Department of Health (DOH) Comprehensive Anti-retroviral Therapy (ART) Operational Plan specifically identified the importance of ‘Patient Advocates’ (PAs) in the retention and follow-up of HIV patients. PAs are community members that form a link between community and local health care facilities. They support patients in their homes with psychosocial care that will prevent non-adherence to treatment. Absolute Return for Kids (ARK) has partnered with various NGOs in the province to train PAs from communities in adherence and general psychosocial counseling and funds their stipends and other management fees.

Using PAs is a good way to utilize unskilled community workers and develop their capacity to become an integral part of the local health system. The PAs are paid a stipend that is in line with DOH workers that are doing the same job. This makes it easier for these community workers to be absorbed by the DOH, which is an objective of ARK’s.

The ARK has covered 13 treatment sites, partnering with 12 NGOs. There are currently 5220 clients that are supported by the ARK’s Community Access and Adherence Programme. The project employs 65 PAs and 52 home-based care-providers. These workers reach over 5000 patients, helping them to adhere to their ART and medical treatments.

Hide this

Need help?

Using the CHMI Programs Database

  • Browse: Browse the database by applying one or more filters to narrow your search by characteristics. Click the "x" to remove any of the filters you've selected. Click "reset search" to remove all filters and start over.
  • Search: Search the database for a specific program by typing a name or keyword into the search box.
  • Add: If the program you're looking for is not in the CHMI database, submit the program to the CHMI pipeline by clicking here to add a program profile.
  • Update: If you notice incorrect or outdated information, or would like to help complete a profile for a CHMI pipeline program, request a change by clicking here, or at the top of the program profile.

Have a question? Check the FAQs first. Don’t see your question? Contact us.