OpiniãoThe concept of DSD (previously referred to as differentiated care) is increasingly being applied during the provision of comprehensive HIV services (78). In the context of HIV, DSD is a people-centred approach that simplifies and adapts HIV services to better serve the needs of people living with HIV and to optimize the available resources in health systems. DSD is premised on the fact that delivery of services is not a one-size-fits-all model but rather recognizes the diversity of people who seek the services. It is designed to efficiently deliver people-centred packages of health care and can be particularly effective in caring for people with chronic diseases.
The principles of DSD are applied to the HIV care cascade, including prevention, testing, linkages to care, ART initiation and follow-up, and integration of HIV care, coinfections and comorbidities. Since TB is a chronic disease and among the HIV-associated comorbidities, the DSD approach can be considered as a care model through which implementation of patient-centred care is enhanced.
