Capacity Assessment of HIV Clinics for the Delivery of Community-Based HIV Services in the Dominican Republic

The provision of HIV care services in the Dominican Republic largely consists of service provision at clinical sites. Although some of these sites have incorporated community-based patient follow-up into their HIV service portfolio, the Government of the Dominican Republic (GoDR) has only recently incorporated community-based HIV services into the regulatory framework of the national HIV care program. In doing this, the GoDR aims to expand the delivery of community-based HIV services in a sustained and phased manner. Thus far, the new strategy has been implemented primarily in clinical sites supported by the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), with the financial support of PEPFAR-funded care and treatment projects.

During its first and second year of implementation, the LHSS has supported GoDR to expand its plan for community-based HIV services nationwide. To that end, LHSS has worked with GoDR counterparts to review, develop, update, and implement a comprehensive policy framework— including national guidelines and standard operating procedures (SOPs)—that supports the provision of HIV care at both clinical sites and the community level.