Since the introduction of antiretroviral treatment, HIV/AIDS can be framed as a chronic lifelong condition, requiring lifelong adherence\r\nto medication. Reinforcement of self-management through information, acquisition of problem solving skills, motivation,\r\nand peer support is expected to allow PLWHA to become involved as expert patients in the care management and to decrease the\r\ndependency on scarce skilled medical staff.We developed a conceptual framework to analyse how PLWHA can become expert patients\r\nand performed a literature review on involvement of PLWHAas expert patients in ART provision in Sub-Saharan Africa. This\r\npaper revealed two published examples: one on trained PLWHAin Kenya and another on self-formed peer groups inMozambique.\r\nBoth programs fit the concept of the expert patient and describe how community-embedded ART programs can be effective and\r\nimprove the accessibility and affordability of ART. Using their day-to-day experience of living with HIV, expert patients are able to\r\nprovide better fitting solutions to practical and psychosocial barriers to adherence. There is a need for careful design of models in\r\nwhich expert patients are involved in essential care functions, capacitated, and empowered to manage their condition and support\r\nfellow peers, as an untapped resource to control HIV/AIDS.
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