Differentiated Service Delivery Models for Maintaining HIV Treatment and Prevention Services During Crisis and Disease Outbreaks: Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Publication date: Jul 25, 2024

This review summarizes differentiated service delivery (DSD) models for HIV treatment and prevention that have been adapted for maintaining continuity of services during the COVID-19 pandemic and proposes strategies for sustaining their benefits now and during future disruptions. The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in an overburdened and disrupted health system, forcing countries to adopt and/or scale up DSD models for HIV services. While initially implemented as emergency measures, these models evolved and were refined over time to fit recipient needs ensuring continued HIV treatment and prevention services with minimal health system impact. Successful models employed task shifting, community-based delivery models, multimonth scripting and dispensing, and telehealth for remote consultation. DSD models enabled HIV services globally to be maintained during the COVID-19 pandemic. Though these models and adaptations were critical in addressing health gaps and disruptions caused by the pandemic, they were beneficial in improving efficiency and access to client-centered services and should be sustained.

Concepts Keywords
Efficiency ART
Hiv COVID-19
Models Differentiated services
Pandemic HIV services
Telehealth PrEP

Semantics

Type Source Name
disease MESH COVID-19 Pandemic
disease MESH emergency
disease VO time
disease VO efficiency

Original Article

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