Neliswa Nkwali, living with HIV for 25 years, says 6MMD has brought her freedom from clinic queues. “I can plan my life now.”
6MMD (six multi-month dispensing) allows stable HIV patients to collect meds only twice a year, cutting down clinic visits.
Western Cape clinics began 6MMD last year, easing pressure on staff and improving retention in care through ARV clubs for stable patients.
ARV clubs help decongest clinics by grouping stable patients and streamlining ARV pick-ups.
The national rollout of 6MMD is scheduled to begin in August, expanding the dispensing model to other provinces.
A national patient recording system is also needed, says clinic coordinator Nonhle Plaatjie, to track where people collect their ARVs from across provinces.
Health workers in the Western Cape can’t always verify if patients collect their medications in different provinces when they travel, leading to confusion about treatment continuity.
Policy experts urge faster action: with more than 6-million people on ARVs, 6MMD could make it easier for our health system to cope with so many patients, lessening the blow of US funding cuts.
This story was produced by the Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism. Sign up for the newsletter.
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