News Releases

New Toolkit for Differentiated Care in HIV and TB Programs

04 December 2015

HARARE, Zimbabwe - The Global Fund presented a toolkit to help partners implement differentiated care approaches in HIV and TB investments with the aim of maximizing cost efficiency and better serving the different needs of various communities most affected by diseases.

Unveiled at the International Conference on AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases in Africa (ICASA), the toolkit is intended to support country program managers and managers of health facilities by gathering examples of good practices at health facilities that seek to increase the quality and efficiency of service delivery.

The toolkit includes a section on how to best use data to emphasize the importance of supporting differentiated care with accurate data collection and analysis for planning and modifying approaches. It also provides information and practical steps on how health centres can develop differentiated approaches from testing and counselling to treatment and care to drug delivery.

The tool kit was based on innovative work from health facilities in Senegal, Uganda, Kenya and elsewhere, and also based on models of care pioneered by Médecins Sans Frontières and The AIDS Support Organisation in Uganda. It was developed in collaboration with a wide range of in-country and global partners, including Ministry of Health officials, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, World Health Organization, the President's Emergency Program for AIDS Relief, UNAIDS, the StopTB Partnership, and the International AIDS Society.

Each differentiated care module contains brief operational guidance, aimed at helping managers determine the approach that is relevant to a centre's context and challenges, understand options and examples of the approach, and define how to adapt the practices. The goal is to promote the greater use of differentiated care in health facilities with the potential to make cost savings of up to 20 percent at national level.

The Global Fund partnership is making a significant impact in the fight against HIV, TB and malaria, transforming communities while building resilient and sustainable systems for health. With implementing countries in the lead, partners can take a differentiated approach to investment and have an even bigger impact on people's lives.