The National Department of Health (NDOH) strives to provide quality healthcare that is responsive to the needs of the population. To achieve this, the NDoH is implementing a quality management program with consumer involvement as a key component. Consumers are the core of quality improvement and it is imperative that they are engaged in the design, delivery, and ongoing assessment of health services to ensure they are built to meet local health needs. Patient participation in healthcare decision-making has been shown to empower patients and improve services as well as health outcomes.

To ensure that consumers are meaningfully involved in quality management activities at the facilities where they are accessing care.

• To provide a platform for consumers to give advice and recommendations to quality improvement committees on issues relating to health and well-being of People Living with HIV (PLWHIV).

• To provide a platform for consumers to identify and communicate issues that impact on HIV treatment, care and support.

• To purposefully gather input from consumers on how HIV treatment, care and support services can be improved.

• To ensure consumers have an understanding of the quality management plans, activities and results.

• To build a partnership in HIV management between consumers and healthcare providers.

• To give consumers a “voice” in their treatment.

1. Operate in a manner that is accessible, accountable, respectful and inclusive.

2. Operate in a collaborative manner that builds on existing structures and networks wherever possible.

3. Work to support actions and initiatives which consolidate and strengthen existing services.

4. Seek to promote equitable service delivery.

5. Ensure privacy and confidentiality.