Living Positively with HIV in Angola: The Role of Patient Assistant Facilitators in Improving Case Finding and Adherence to Antiretroviral Treatment

Living Positively with HIV in Angola: The Role of Patient Assistant Facilitators in Improving Case Finding and Adherence to Antiretroviral Treatment

To accelerate progress in early diagnosis and linkage to treatment of people living with HIV, the Health For All (HFA) Project in Angola trained and deployed 16 patient assistant facilitators (PAFs) across seven health facilities in Luanda.

In support of the Government of Angola’s (GoA) strategic plan to accelerate early diagnosis of HIV, HFA supported initiatives to ensure that people living with HIV are initiated and retained on antiretroviral treatment (ART). Through implementation of the Busca Activa Consentida Através do Caso Indice (BACCI) or index case testing approach, HFA extended the reach of the health system into communities, helping people to adhere to treatment, live positively, and achieve viral suppression. PAFs play an important role in this process by supporting newly diagnosed people living with HIV to enroll in treatment at a nearby facility and adhere to their ART regimen.