Community-Based Model for Delivery of Antiretroviral Therapy in Cambodia

The frontline workers to implement the CAD model intervention will be people living with HIV recruited from the community who will plays roles as CAWs. The CAWs will receive intensive training, coaching, and mentoring from their respective ART clinics and implementing partners' field staff on ARV dispensing, drug storage, patient's vital sign assessment and recording, HIV education and counseling, medication adherence, referral systems, mental health, stigma and discrimination, and sexual and reproductive health of people living with HIV. To closely monitor the work of the CAWs, a respective ART clinic team, consisting of an ART counselor and a physician, will be tasked to conduct regular supervision along with the program team of the implementing partners to the community groups at least once a month in the first six months. After the six months, supervisory visits will be extended to once every two months.

The control arm participants will receive routine services under the MMD model based on standard community-based prevention, care, and support practices in Cambodia. The NCHADS has introduced MDD in all ART sites across the country. However, so far, not all ART sites currently operate the MMD. The MMD is designed to help ART service providers implement MMD for eligible patients-that is, patients whose condition is determined to be stable-which will reduce the need for frequent visits and providers' workload. Stable people living with HIV receive care and support from counselors and ARVs at the clinics every four to six months.