An Assessment of the Actionable Drivers of HIV Outcomes: A Study of the COVida Case Management System in Three Provinces in Mozambique

Author(s): MEASURE Evaluation

Year: 2019

Abstract:

In Mozambique, more than a million children are HIV-positive or otherwise vulnerable because of the virus. In response to this crisis, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) fund programs that serve orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) affected by HIV. These programs employ case workers who provide services to OVC and their families to reduce their vulnerability to HIV, such as linking OVC to HIV testing services and HIV-positive children and adults to HIV care. PEPFAR seeks to understand how case management can be improved to increase knowledge of HIV status and encourage retention on antiretroviral therapy.

COVida is a USAID-funded OVC program in Mozambique that supports roughly 300,000 OVC and caregivers per year to access high-quality comprehensive services nationally. The USAID- and PEPFAR-funded MEASURE Evaluation project conducted a study of COVida in 2019 to learn more about the features of the program’s case management system, with a view to making recommendations on how to improve the system’s effectiveness and efficiency and—ultimately—beneficiary outcomes. The study also estimated the costs of conducting casework and identified the cost drivers of case management. It produced evidence-informed, actionable recommendations for programs in Mozambique on how to shift their program implementation strategies and, ultimately, their resources to optimally balance quality and cost. This brief shares more.