HIV Care Strategies in Resource-Limited Settings

Effective HIV care in resource-constrained environments hinges on a combination of accessible testing, robust linkage to treatment, and sustained adherence support. Community-based screening initiatives, including mobile clinics, home visits and involvement of non‐clinical providers, have expanded diagnostic coverage where health infrastructure is sparse. Task shifting from physicians to trained nurses or community health workers has alleviated workforce shortages while maintaining quality of care. Decentralisation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) delivery to primary health centres and community outlets brings treatment closer to those in need. Digital and peer-led adherence support mechanisms, such as mobile phone messaging and treatment buddies, bolster retention in care. Partnerships with traditional healers and faith‐based organisations have created novel pathways for testing and referral, harnessing existing social networks and cultural trust. Structural interventions—addressing poverty, stigma and gender inequities—are critical to reducing barriers along the care cascade. Collectively, these strategies underscore a shift towards integrated, patient-centred models that leverage local resources and foster sustained engagement in HIV treatment and prevention, with the ultimate goal of achieving universal coverage and improving clinical outcomes across diverse settings.

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HIV Care Strategies in Resource-Limited Settings publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in hiv care strategies in resource-limited settings across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Antiretroviral therapy (ART): A combination of medicines used to suppress HIV replication and prevent disease progression.

Point-of-care testing: Diagnostic tests performed at the time and place of patient care, providing rapid results without laboratory infrastructure.

Cascade of care: The sequential stages of HIV services from diagnosis through successful viral suppression.

Medical pluralism: The coexistence and interaction of biomedical, traditional and faith-based healthcare systems within a community.

References

1. Recent HIV testing and self-reported HIV prevalence among men who inject drugs in Afghanistan: a nationwide survey in 2019–2020. Harm Reduction Journal (2025).
2. Barriers and enabling structural forces affecting access to antiretroviral therapy in Nigeria. BMC Public Health (2024).
3. Traditional healer-delivered point-of-care HIV testing versus referral to clinical facilities for adults of unknown serostatus in rural Uganda: a mixed-methods, cluster-randomised trial. The Lancet Global Health (2021).
4. Traditional healers, faith healers and medical practitioners: the contribution of medical pluralism to bottlenecks along the cascade of care for HIV/AIDS in Eastern and Southern Africa. Sexually Transmitted Infections (2017).
5. Current strategies for improving access and adherence to antiretroviral therapies in resource-limited settings. HIV/AIDS - Research and Palliative Care (2013).