| Abstract | HIV/AIDS has ravaged the world with its devastating effects, but the advent of antiretroviral treatment has drastically changed the prognosis of the retrovirus. However, adherence to antiretroviral treatment must be maintained with the greatest effort in order to parlay the immense survival benefits of the medication. In low- and middle- income countries, where human resources for health are rapidly being depleted, community health workers (CHWs) have become a popular strategy for increasing the effectiveness of antiretroviral treatment by ensuring optimal adherence. With an approach based on the Joanna Briggs Institute model, this systematic review evaluates published literature from four databases regarding the effect of CHW interventions on antiretroviral adherence outcomes to determine. Of the five studies included in the review, three showed statistically significant improvement of adherence and its related outcomes achieved by the use of community health workers. The other two studies had trends or conditional results that indicated potential efficacy of CHWs to the aforementioned end. While further research is necessary to reach more conclusive and applicable results, CHWs are an appropriate solution to the need for improved antiretroviral adherence. |
