Mozambique’s Community Antiretroviral Therapy Support Group Program: The Role of Social Relationships in Facilitating HIV/ AIDS Treatment Retention
AIDS behav; 23 (9), 2019
Publication year: 2019
The Community Antiretroviral (ARV) Therapy Support Group (CASG) program aims to address
low retention rates in Mozambique’s HIV treatment program and the absorptive capacity of the
country’s health facilities. CASG provides patients with the opportunity to form groups, whose
members provide peer support and collect ARV medications on a rotating basis for one another.
Based on the promising results in one province, a multi-site level evaluation followed. We report
on qualitative findings from this evaluation from the patient perspective on the role of social
relationships (as facilitated through CASG) in conferring time, financial, educational and
psychosocial benefits that contribute to improved patient retention. These findings may be helpful in informing what aspects of social relationships are critical to foster as CASG is implemented
within a greater number of Mozambican health facilities, and as other countries design and
implement related models of care and treatment with a support group component.
Anti-Retroviral Agents/therapeutic use, Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active, Community Health Services/organization & administration, Focus Groups, d0126570, HIV Infections/diagnosis, HIV Infections/therapy, HIV Infections/psychology, Interpersonal Relations, Medication Adherence, Mozambique, Program Evaluation, Qualitative Research, Retention in Care, Self-Help Groups, Social Networking