Leveraging the Private Health Sector to Expand the HIV/AIDS Workforce

To make headway in the fight against HIV, many countries have received donor support for employing health workers in the public sector to provide HIV testing, treatment, and follow-up. These health workers have been instrumental in the progress against HIV/AIDS, and are essential for achieving epidemic control. It is uncertain how the workforce for maintaining HIV epidemic control will be supported. The Sustaining Health Outcomes through the Private Sector (SHOPS) Plus project conducted a qualitative study that looks at the private health workforce and the contribution it could make to the HIV response. It examines where along the HIV continuum of care private providers would best be used, the conditions needed for the private sector to invest in staff for HIV-related service delivery, the role of private community-based health workers, and the role of the public sector in strengthening the private health sector’s HIV workforce expansion. The report concludes with recommendations for policy makers, donors, and implementing partners who seek to tap into the private sector to strengthen the HIV response.