Body and mind: retention in antiretroviral treatment care is improved by mental health training of care providers in Ethiopia

Ethiopia has achieved a high coverage of antiretroviral treatment (ART), but maintaining lifelong care is still a great challenge. Mental illnesses often co-exist with HIV/AIDS and may compromise the retention on ART. In order to improve prolonged retention in ART care, basic training in mental health care was introduced for ART providers, but this hasn't been evaluated yet. The aim of this study was to examine if this training has improved patient retention in care.