Sinako, a study on HIV competent households in South Africa: a clusterrandomised controlled trial protocol
Abstract
: With 7.7 million South Africans currently infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and 4.8
million currently receiving antiretroviral treatment (ART), the epidemic represents a considerable burden for the
country’s resource-limited health system. In response to the health and human resource shortages, task shifting to
community health workers (CHWs) and empowering people living with HIV (PLWH) are integral parts of a
sustainable ART strategy. Despite the success of the ART programme, South Africa still faces both prevention and
treatment challenges. To tackle these challenges, future endeavours need to focus on the role played by the
households of PLWH in mediating between the community and PLWH themselves