Lay community cadres in the HIV/AIDS response. How can we expand their role to other services? A retrospective analysis of data in Masvingo province: 2024-2025
1
SIE, JF Kapnek Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe
2
PMD, Ministry of Health and Child Care, Masvingo, Zimbabwe
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):A1814
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION:
Lay community cadres can contribute to long term management of people living with HIV (PLHIV) through peer support, medication distribution and follow-up for various services like viral load collection, cervical cancer screening and appointment reminders1. The Targeted, Accelerated, Sustain Quality Care for HIV epidemic control (TASQC program) used an Open Data Kit (ODK) tool to track services offered by lay community cadres. We sought to describe the distribution of these services and suggest potential ways in which the services they provide can be expanded.
METHODS:
A descriptive retrospective analysis of ODK data for the period August 2024 to December 2025 for Masvingo province was done. Services provided were categorized in 13 categories including tracking for appointments and services for comorbidities like TB and cervical cancer screening. Frequency of services in each category was calculated and are presented as percentages. Microsoft Excel was used for all analyses.
RESULTS:
Masvingo Province has a total of 116495 PLHIV in care. In the period under analysis 138422 instances of community follow-up were logged in ODK with an 89% visit success rate. Women accounted for 70% of the visits and had a slightly higher visit success rate (90% vs 87%). Mobilization for viral load collection (52%), refills (24%) and cervical cancer screening (21%) were the main services offered. Approximately a quarter of visits (23%), were for multiple services. Viral load coverage for the province improved in this period from 81% to 89%. Follow-up for early infant diagnosis was lower than expected.
CONCLUSIONS:
Community lay cadres can play a key role in patient tracking for medication refills and patient monitoring. This role can be expanded to include non-communicable diseases like hypertension and diabetes to enhance adherence and closer patient monitoring. Men need approaches that meet them at their workspaces.
Lay community cadres can contribute to long term management of people living with HIV (PLHIV) through peer support, medication distribution and follow-up for various services like viral load collection, cervical cancer screening and appointment reminders1. The Targeted, Accelerated, Sustain Quality Care for HIV epidemic control (TASQC program) used an Open Data Kit (ODK) tool to track services offered by lay community cadres. We sought to describe the distribution of these services and suggest potential ways in which the services they provide can be expanded.
METHODS:
A descriptive retrospective analysis of ODK data for the period August 2024 to December 2025 for Masvingo province was done. Services provided were categorized in 13 categories including tracking for appointments and services for comorbidities like TB and cervical cancer screening. Frequency of services in each category was calculated and are presented as percentages. Microsoft Excel was used for all analyses.
RESULTS:
Masvingo Province has a total of 116495 PLHIV in care. In the period under analysis 138422 instances of community follow-up were logged in ODK with an 89% visit success rate. Women accounted for 70% of the visits and had a slightly higher visit success rate (90% vs 87%). Mobilization for viral load collection (52%), refills (24%) and cervical cancer screening (21%) were the main services offered. Approximately a quarter of visits (23%), were for multiple services. Viral load coverage for the province improved in this period from 81% to 89%. Follow-up for early infant diagnosis was lower than expected.
CONCLUSIONS:
Community lay cadres can play a key role in patient tracking for medication refills and patient monitoring. This role can be expanded to include non-communicable diseases like hypertension and diabetes to enhance adherence and closer patient monitoring. Men need approaches that meet them at their workspaces.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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