Making ward-based outreach teams an effective component of human immunodeficiency virus programmes in South Africa
The implementation of ward-based outreach teams (WBOTs), comprised of community health workers (CHWs), is one of the three interventions of the South African National Department of Health’s (NDoH) Primary Health Care (PHC) Re-engineering strategy for improving health outcomes. CHWs provide a necessa...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
AOSIS
2018-04-01
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| Series: | Southern African Journal of HIV Medicine |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://sajhivmed.org.za/index.php/hivmed/article/view/778 |
| _version_ | 1828410788399808512 |
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| author | Nireshni Naidoo Jean Railton Geoffrey Jobson Nthabiseng Matlakala Gert Marincowitz James A. McIntyre Helen Struthers Remco P.H. Peters |
| author_facet | Nireshni Naidoo Jean Railton Geoffrey Jobson Nthabiseng Matlakala Gert Marincowitz James A. McIntyre Helen Struthers Remco P.H. Peters |
| author_sort | Nireshni Naidoo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The implementation of ward-based outreach teams (WBOTs), comprised of community health workers (CHWs), is one of the three interventions of the South African National Department of Health’s (NDoH) Primary Health Care (PHC) Re-engineering strategy for improving health outcomes. CHWs provide a necessary structure to contribute to successful implementation of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) programme in four ways: (1) prevention of HIV infection by health education, (2) linkage to care by health education and referrals, (3) adherence support and (4) identification of individuals who are failing treatment. However, CHW programme and HIV programme-specific barriers exist that need to be resolved in order to achieve maximum impact. These include a lack of stakeholder and community support for WBOTs, challenging work and operational environments, a lack of in-depth knowledge and skills, and socio-cultural barriers such as HIV-related stigma. Considering its promising structure, documentation of the WBOT contribution to healthcare overall, and the HIV programme in particular, is urgently warranted to successfully and sustainably incorporate it into the South African healthcare system. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T12:18:09Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2b4ab84334ae46dea82235acb1d7dccf |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1608-9693 2078-6751 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T12:18:09Z |
| publishDate | 2018-04-01 |
| publisher | AOSIS |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Southern African Journal of HIV Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-2b4ab84334ae46dea82235acb1d7dccf2022-12-22T01:49:10ZengAOSISSouthern African Journal of HIV Medicine1608-96932078-67512018-04-01191e1e610.4102/sajhivmed.v19i1.778583Making ward-based outreach teams an effective component of human immunodeficiency virus programmes in South AfricaNireshni Naidoo0Jean Railton1Geoffrey Jobson2Nthabiseng Matlakala3Gert Marincowitz4James A. McIntyre5Helen Struthers6Remco P.H. Peters7Anova Health Institute, Johannesburg & Tzaneen, South Africa and School of Public Health, University of the WitwatersrandAnova Health Institute, Johannesburg & TzaneenAnova Health Institute, Johannesburg & TzaneenAnova Health Institute, Johannesburg & TzaneenMopani DCST, Department of Health, Limpopo ProvinceAnova Health Institute, Johannesburg & Tzaneen, South Africa and School of Public Health & Family Medicine, University of Cape TownAnova Health Institute, Johannesburg & Tzaneen, South Africa and Division of Infectious Diseases & HIV Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Cape TownAnova Health Institute, Johannesburg & TzaneenThe implementation of ward-based outreach teams (WBOTs), comprised of community health workers (CHWs), is one of the three interventions of the South African National Department of Health’s (NDoH) Primary Health Care (PHC) Re-engineering strategy for improving health outcomes. CHWs provide a necessary structure to contribute to successful implementation of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) programme in four ways: (1) prevention of HIV infection by health education, (2) linkage to care by health education and referrals, (3) adherence support and (4) identification of individuals who are failing treatment. However, CHW programme and HIV programme-specific barriers exist that need to be resolved in order to achieve maximum impact. These include a lack of stakeholder and community support for WBOTs, challenging work and operational environments, a lack of in-depth knowledge and skills, and socio-cultural barriers such as HIV-related stigma. Considering its promising structure, documentation of the WBOT contribution to healthcare overall, and the HIV programme in particular, is urgently warranted to successfully and sustainably incorporate it into the South African healthcare system.https://sajhivmed.org.za/index.php/hivmed/article/view/778Community Health WorkersHIV |
| spellingShingle | Nireshni Naidoo Jean Railton Geoffrey Jobson Nthabiseng Matlakala Gert Marincowitz James A. McIntyre Helen Struthers Remco P.H. Peters Making ward-based outreach teams an effective component of human immunodeficiency virus programmes in South Africa Southern African Journal of HIV Medicine Community Health Workers HIV |
| title | Making ward-based outreach teams an effective component of human immunodeficiency virus programmes in South Africa |
| title_full | Making ward-based outreach teams an effective component of human immunodeficiency virus programmes in South Africa |
| title_fullStr | Making ward-based outreach teams an effective component of human immunodeficiency virus programmes in South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Making ward-based outreach teams an effective component of human immunodeficiency virus programmes in South Africa |
| title_short | Making ward-based outreach teams an effective component of human immunodeficiency virus programmes in South Africa |
| title_sort | making ward based outreach teams an effective component of human immunodeficiency virus programmes in south africa |
| topic | Community Health Workers HIV |
| url | https://sajhivmed.org.za/index.php/hivmed/article/view/778 |
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