Bi-directional Lessons Learned Along the HIV Treatment Cascade Between the RWHAP and PEPFAR

Examination of potential areas for bi-directional sharing between the U.S. Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) and the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

The review entailed a multi-modal approach to develop an understanding of best practices and lessons learned from both domestic and international HRSA-funded HIV initiatives. Each section presents a high-level description of the program, populations, and settings that could benefit from the intervention strategy; considerations for implementation; and resources where more information may be found. The paper concludes with recommendations for RWHAP and PEPFAR leadership. 

RWHAP Lessons for PEPFAR

• Medical and non-medical case management 
• Integration of behavioral health services 
• Trauma-informed care 
• Capacity building of local institutions
• Use of community health workers in treatment initiation and adherence 

PEPFAR Lessons for RWHAP 

• Differentiated service delivery
• Sustainability index dashboards 
• Data use for real-time decision-making 
• Capacity building of local institutions 
• Use of community health workers in treatment initiation and adherence 
• Rapid initiation of treatment