Impact of youth lay health workers on HIV service delivery in South Africa: A pragmatic cluster randomized trial of the Youth Health Africa program.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Innovative approaches are needed to increase lay health workers in HIV programs. The Youth Health Africa (YHA) program is a novel approach that places young adults seeking work experience in one-year internships in health facilities to support HIV-related programming (e.g., HIV testing) or administration (e.g., filing).

Methods

We implemented a pragmatic, randomized trial among 20 facilities in Ngaka Modiri Molema district in North West province from October 2020-August 2021 to assess impact of YHA interns on HIV testing, treatment initiation, and retention in care. The primary outcome was proportion of patients tested for HIV. Secondary outcomes assessed HIV positivity, initiation in care, retention in care, and HIV testing among males and adolescents/young adult

SUBMITTER: Tollefson D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10688901 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature