The Three Box Model: An Innovative Strategy to Improve Client Retention Treatment in Tanzania

To prevent interruptions in treatment (IIT) and improve continuity of treatment and viral load suppression among all patients on ART, the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF), in partnership with the Tanzania Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children (MoHCDGEC) and with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), developed the Three-Box Model. The model was designed to rapidly identify and trace patients who missed clinic visits and reduce the number of clients experiencing an IIT in high-volume facilities throughout the supported regions of the USAID Boresha Afya North/Central Zone project in Tanzania.

Keys to Succeed in Implementing this Model: community health worker availability, facilitylinked adherence groups (FLAGs) or other psychosocial support groups, dedicated facility documentation process and diligent site retention focal person.

Call to Action: National authorities should provide guidance to facilities to monitor appointments using the Three-Box Model, as it has proven to be a useful, easily implemented tool to monitor IIT and centralize clients’ treatment information, also addressing the issue of self-transfers and transit clients who tend to collect drugs from other facilities without feedback to the primary facility.

Learn more in our issue brief here.