Integrating HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections with primary health care – Learning from countries

Overview

Countries
are navigating major challenges and emerging opportunities in funding
and delivering HIV, viral hepatitis, and STIs (HHS) services, with a
growing push for national ownership
and sustainability as donor support declines. Countries are increasingly
adopting a primary-health care (PHC) approach to address HHS epidemics
as part of a broader holistic and people-centred approach to health.

This new policy brief highlights progress and lessons learned from efforts to
converge, link and integrate these services with PHC in several low- and
middle-income countries. The overall experiences from
selected countries in this brief – Angola, Botswana, Brazil, Ethiopia,
Indonesia, Kenya, Pakistan, Rwanda, Viet Nam, and Zambia – show varied
challenges, approaches and outcomes aligned with the 4 strategic and 10
operational levers described in the WHO/UNICEF
PHC Operational Framework . Countries that prioritized 4 or more areas
at the same time – achieved the most sustainable results.

The
integration of disease-focused responses and services with PHC has led
to improved access to services, enhanced service delivery,
stronger community engagement, improved health outcomes and sustainable
financing. The recommendations focus on strengthening governance,
securing political commitment and sustainable funding, enhancing health
systems, promoting task sharing, engaging communities,
reducing stigma, leveraging digital technologies, and partnering with
the private sector.

Related

Global HIV, Hepatitis and STIs Programmes

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