Accordingly, PHC services are pivotal in the provision of comprehensive care and a continuum of care [ 24- 26] for patients who have recurrent engagements with the health system, as a result of need for long term, even lifelong treatment as is the case for HIV patients, age-related illnesses and various NCDs [ 27].
The multiple and often complex needs of these patients require an emphasis on coordinated, comprehensive care along the continuum of disease and across health-care delivery systems [ 15].
Disease management refers to a system of coordinated, comprehensive care along the continuum of cancer and across health care delivery systems, with a special focus on self-management [53].
Disease management refers to a system of coordinated comprehensive care along the continuum of the disease across health care delivery systems, with a specific focus on self-management.
There is now a general recognition that comprehensive care across the continuum should be provided to PLWHA through all the stages of infection, with a crucial role for community-home based care activities [ 10].
Four types of continuum were examined: (i) service linkages between key population outreach and HIV diagnosis (vertical-community continuum); (ii) chronic care provision across HIV diagnosis and treatment (chronological continuum); (iii) linkages between HIV and other health services (horizontal continuum); and (iv) comprehensive care sites coordinating care provision (hub and heart of continuum).
KMC is embedded in the broader continuum of care for small and sick newborns, including obstetric care [ 24], management of preterm labour [ 25], basic newborn care and resuscitation [ 26], management of infections [ 27] and more comprehensive care of small and sick newborns, especially those with respiratory complications [ 28].
Several points along the continuum of comprehensive care present opportunities for applying the lessons learned between HIV and TB services (Table 1): With respect to HIV counselling and testing, TB services present a readily identifiable cohort for HIV provider-initiated testing (PIT).
On the hub & heart of continuum, we analyzed the information on features and expansion status of comprehensive care sites including PLHIV involvement in ART sites and linkages with CHBC.
Regarding hub and heart of continuum, all countries had comprehensive care sites with different degrees of community involvement.
