Table 3.

Summary of studies included assessing child health outcomes

Author and year	Country	Study period	Description of community-based intervention			Study methods			Statistically significant outcome(s)*
			Type of persons used to implement intervention(s)	Intervention implementation strategy	Intervention	Outcome(s) measured	Measurement of effect (study design)	Was there a comparison with only clinic-based care?
Ahmed et al, 2015 [39]	Malawi	2007-2011	CHWs	Case finding (HIV testing and counseling); community engagement; health promotion; follow-up care; integrated care; home-based care	Identification and enrollment of HIV-exposed and HIV-infected infants and children	Age at enrollment in HIV programs (of HIV+ infants and children)	Pre-post assessment without comparison group	No	Age at enrollment in care decreased
Dahinten et al, 2016 [40]	Zambia	2013-2014	CHWs	Health promotion	Use of special method for dosing HIV exposed infants with ART (Pratt Pouch)	% of HIV-exposed infants receiving medication within 3 d of birth	Pre-post assessment without comparison group	No	More HIV-exposed infants were medicated within 3 d of birth
Fatti et al, 2014 [41]	South Africa	2004-2010	Patient advocates (community-based adherence supporters) and social workers	Psychosocial support to aid adherence; health promotion; home-based care; integrated care; follow-up care	Community-based adherent support for children on ART	% of children receiving ART with adequate viral suppression	Cohort study comparing intervention with non-intervention (control) group	Yes	More children who were receiving ART were virally suppressed at any time point during treatment
Ferrand et al, 2017 [42]	Zimbabwe	2013-2015	CHWs	Psychosocial support to aid adherence, engagement and retention in care; health promotion; home-based care; integrated care; follow-up care	Support to caregivers of children and adolescents newly diagnosed HIV to aid adherence, engagement and retention in care	Mortality of children in the program	Randomized trial comparing intervention and standard of care (control) group	Yes	Fewer children died
						% of children with adequate viral suppression			More children were virally suppressed
Grimwood et al, 2012 [43]	South Africa	2004-2009	Patient advocates (community-based support workers); treatment buddies (adherence supporters); social workers	Psychosocial support to aid adherence, engagement and retention in care; health promotion; home-based care; integrated care; follow-up care	Support to caregivers of children with HIV to aid adherence, engagement and retention in care	Mortality of children in the program	Cohort study comparing intervention with non-intervention (control) group	Yes	Fewer children died
						% children retained in HIV care after 3 y of ART			More children were retained HIV in care
Gupta et al, 2013 [44]	Rwanda	2007-2010	CHWs and social workers	Psychosocial support to aid adherence; health promotion; home-based care; integrated care; follow-up care	Community-based ART adherence, nutritional and sanitation support and integrated care for HIV-positive mothers and their infants (including PMTCT)	Mortality of children in the program	Pre-post assessment without comparison group	No	Fewer children died
						% of infants retained on ART at 18 mo			More children were retained in HIV care
Prendergast et al, 2019 [45]	Zimbabwe	2012-2015	CHWs	Psychosocial support to aid adherence, engagement and retention in care; health promotion; home-based care; integrated care; follow-up care	Community-based enhanced infant and young child feeding (IYCF) and improved water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) education and support for HIV-positive pregnant women	Increase in mean length for age	Cluster-randomized trial comparing interventions (3 arms) and control group	No	More children had improved mean length for age
						Increase in hemoglobin levels			More children had improved hemoglobin levels
						% children stunted			Fewer children were stunted
						% children with anemia			Fewer children had anemia
Thurman et al, 2016 [46]	South Africa	2014	Community-based care workers and social workers	Psychosocial support; socioeconomic support (material support and social services); home-based care; integrated care; health promotion	Home-visitation programs to meet the unique needs of each family with orphaned or vulnerable children and promote HIV testing	% children tested for HIV	Retrospective cohort study comparing intervention with non-intervention (control) group	Yes	More children were tested for HIV

ANC – antenatal care, ART – antiretroviral therapy, PMTCT - prevention of mother-to-child transmission (of HIV), PNC - post-natal care, BMI – body mass index, IYCF – infant and young child feeding, WASH – water, sanitation, and hygiene, POC – point-of-care, CHW – community health worker, CHEW – community health extension worker, HEW – health extension worker, CHC – community health committee, TBA – traditional birth attendant, ZDV – zidovudine, NVP – nevirapine, CTX – cotrimoxazole

*5% significance level.