Linkage to intensive adherence counselling among HIV-positive persons on ART with detectable viral load in Gomba district, rural Uganda.

BACKGROUND: Antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence is a primary determinant of sustained viral suppression, HIV transmission risk, disease progression and death. The World Health Organization recommends that adherence support interventions be provided to people on ART, but implementation is suboptimal. We evaluated linkage to intensive adherence counselling (IAC) for persons on ART with detectable viral load (VL). METHODS: Between January and December 2017, we conducted a retrospective chart review of HIV-positive persons on ART with detectable VL (> 1000 copies/ml), in Gomba district, rural Uganda. We abstracted records from eight HIV clinics; seven health center III's (facilities which provide basic preventive and curative care and are headed by clinical officers) and a health center IV (mini-hospital headed by a medical doctor). Linkage to IAC was defined as provision of IAC to ART clients with detectable VL within three months of receipt of results at the health facility. Descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate factors associated with linkage to IAC. RESULTS: Of 4,100 HIV-positive persons on ART for at least 6 months, 411 (10%) had detectable VL. The median age was 32 years (interquartile range [IQR] 13-43) and 52% were female. The median duration on ART was 3.2 years (IQR 1.8-4.8). A total of 311 ART clients (81%) were linked to IAC. Receipt of ART at a Health Center level IV was associated with a two-fold higher odds of IAC linkage compared with Health Center level III (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.78; 95% CI 1.00-3.16; p = 0.01). Age, gender, marital status and ART duration were not related to IAC linkage. CONCLUSIONS: Linkage to IAC was high among persons with detectable VL in rural Uganda, with greater odds of linkage at a higher-level health facility. Strategies to optimize IAC linkage at lower-level health facilities for persons with suboptimal ART adherence are needed.

Non-uptake of viral load testing among people receiving HIV treatment in Gomba district, rural Uganda.

BACKGROUND: Viral load (VL) testing is the gold-standard approach for monitoring human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) treatment success and virologic failure, but uptake is suboptimal in resource-limited and rural settings. We conducted a cross-sectional study of risk factors for non-uptake of VL testing in rural Uganda. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of uptake of VL testing among randomly selected people with HIV (PWH) receiving anti-retroviral treatment (ART) for at least 6 months at all eight primary health centers in Gomba district, rural Uganda. Socio-demographic and clinical data were extracted from medical records for the period January to December 2017. VL testing was routinely performed 6 months after ART initiation and 12 months thereafter for PWH stable on ART. We used descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression to evaluate factors associated with non-uptake of VL testing (the primary outcome). RESULTS: Of 414 PWH, 60% were female, and the median age was 40 years (interquartile range [IQR] 31-48). Most (62.3%) had been on ART > 2 years, and the median duration of treatment was 34 months (IQR 14-55). Thirty three percent did not receive VL testing: 36% of women and 30% of men. Shorter duration of ART (≤2 years) (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 2.38; 95% CI:1.37-4.12; p = 0.002), younger age 16-30 years (AOR 2.74; 95% CI:1.44-5.24; p = 0.002) and 31-45 years (AOR 1.92; 95% CI 1.12-3.27; p = 0.017), and receipt of ART at Health Center IV (AOR 2.85; 95% CI: 1.78-4.56; p < 0.001) were significantly associated with non-uptake of VL testing. CONCLUSIONS: One-in-three PWH on ART missed VL testing in rural Uganda. Strategies to improve coverage of VL testing, such as VL focal persons to flag missed tests, patient education and demand creation for VL testing are needed, particularly for recent ART initiates and younger persons on treatment, in order to attain the third Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) 95-95-95 target - virologic suppression for 95% of PWH on ART.

Health Workers' Perspectives on the Outcomes, Enablers, and Barriers to the Implementation of HIV "Test and Treat" Guidelines in Abuja, Nigeria.

We evaluated health workers' perspectives on the implementation of the 2016 HIV "Test and Treat" guidelines in Nigeria. Using semi-structured interviews, qualitative data was collected from twenty health workers meeting inclusion criteria in six study sites. Data exploration was conducted using thematic content analysis. Participants perceived that the "Test and Treat" guidelines improved care for PLHIV, though they also perceived possible congested clinics. Perceived key factors enabling guidelines use were perceived patient benefits, availability of policy document and trainings. Perceived key barriers to guidelines use were poverty among patients, inadequate human resources and stock-outs of HIV testing kits. Further improvements in uptake of guidelines could be achieved by effecting an efficient supply chain system for HIV testing kits, and improved guidelines distribution and capacity building prior to implementation. Additionally, implementing differentiated approaches that decongest clinics, and programs that economically empower patients, could improve guidelines use, as Nigeria scales "Test and Treat" nationwide.

High rates of loss to follow-up during the first year of pre-antiretroviral therapy for HIV patients at sites providing pre-ART care in Nigeria, 2004-2012.

BACKGROUND: With about 3.4 million HIV-infected persons, Nigeria has the second highest number of people living with HIV (PLHIV) in the world. However, antiretroviral treatment (ART) coverage in Nigeria remains low with only 748,846 (22%) of PLHIV on ART by the end of 2014. Retention of HIV-infected patients in pre-ART care is essential to ensure timely ART initiation. We assessed outcomes of patients enrolled in Nigeria's pre-ART program during 2004-2012. METHODS: We conducted a nationally representative retrospective cohort study among adults (≥15 years old), enrolling in pre-ART programs supported by the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief in Nigeria. A total of 35 sites enrolling ≥50 patients in pre-ART were selected using probability proportional-to-size sampling; 2,415 eligible medical records at these sites were randomly selected for abstraction. Determinants of loss to follow-up (LTFU) and mortality during pre-ART care were estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression models. RESULTS: The median age at enrollment was 32 years (interquartile range (IQR) 27-40). A total of 1,216 (51.4%) initiated ART by the time of data abstraction. Among the remaining 1,199 patients, 898 (74.9%) had been LTFU, 180 (15.0%) were alive and in pre-ART care, 71 (5.9%) had died, 50 (4.2%) had transferred out or stopped care. Baseline markers of advanced disease, including weight <45 kg (adjusted hazard ration (AHR) = 4.23; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.51-15.58) and more advanced WHO disease stage, were predictive of pre-ART mortality. Compared with patients aged 15-24, patients aged 35-44 (AHR = 0.67; 95% CI: 1.0.47-0.95) and age 45-54 (AHR = 0.66; 95% CI: 0.48-0.91) had lower LTFU rates. Compared with attending facilities in North Central geopolitical zone, attending facility locations in South East (AHR = 0.44; 95% CI: 0.24-0.83) was protective against LTFU. CONCLUSIONS: About half of patients enrolling in HIV program during 2004-2012 in Nigeria had not initiated ART by 2013. Key strategies to improve early ART initiation among pre-ART enrollees include implementation of the WHO test and treat guidelines, earlier HIV testing, and better monitoring to improve ART initiation rates. Further research to understand regional variations in pre-ART outcomes is warranted.

Trends in Prevalence of Advanced HIV Disease at Antiretroviral Therapy Enrollment - 10 Countries, 2004-2015.

Monitoring prevalence of advanced human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease (i.e., CD4+ T-cell count <200 cells/µL) among persons starting antiretroviral therapy (ART) is important to understand ART program outcomes, inform HIV prevention strategy, and forecast need for adjunctive therapies.*,†,§ To assess trends in prevalence of advanced disease at ART initiation in 10 high-burden countries during 2004-2015, records of 694,138 ART enrollees aged ≥15 years from 797 ART facilities were analyzed. Availability of national electronic medical record systems allowed up-to-date evaluation of trends in Haiti (2004-2015), Mozambique (2004-2014), and Namibia (2004-2012), where prevalence of advanced disease at ART initiation declined from 75% to 34% (p<0.001), 73% to 37% (p<0.001), and 80% to 41% (p<0.001), respectively. Significant declines in prevalence of advanced disease during 2004-2011 were observed in Nigeria, Swaziland, Uganda, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe. The encouraging declines in prevalence of advanced disease at ART enrollment are likely due to scale-up of testing and treatment services and ART-eligibility guidelines encouraging earlier ART initiation. However, in 2015, approximately a third of new ART patients still initiated ART with advanced HIV disease. To reduce prevalence of advanced disease at ART initiation, adoption of World Health Organization (WHO)-recommended "treat-all" guidelines and strategies to facilitate earlier HIV testing and treatment are needed to reduce HIV-related mortality and HIV incidence.

Incidence and predictors of tuberculosis among HIV-infected adults after initiation of antiretroviral therapy in Nigeria, 2004-2012.

BACKGROUND: Nigeria had the most AIDS-related deaths worldwide in 2014 (170,000), and 46% were associated with tuberculosis (TB). Although treatment of people living with HIV (PLHIV) with antiretroviral therapy (ART) reduces TB-associated morbidity and mortality, incident TB can occur while on ART. We estimated incidence and characterized factors associated with TB after ART initiation in Nigeria. METHODS: We analyzed retrospective cohort data from a nationally representative sample of adult patients on ART. Data were abstracted from 3,496 patient records, and analyses were weighted and controlled for a complex survey design. We performed domain analyses on patients without documented TB disease and used a Cox proportional hazard model to assess factors associated with TB incidence after ART. RESULTS: At ART initiation, 3,350 patients (95.8%) were not receiving TB treatment. TB incidence after ART initiation was 0.57 per 100 person-years, and significantly higher for patients with CD4<50/µL (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR]: 4.2, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.4-12.7) compared with CD4≥200/µL. Patients with suspected but untreated TB at ART initiation and those with a history of prior TB were more likely to develop incident TB (AHR: 12.2, 95% CI: 4.5-33.5 and AHR: 17.6, 95% CI: 3.5-87.9, respectively). CONCLUSION: Incidence of TB among PLHIV after ART initiation was low, and predicted by advanced HIV, prior TB, and suspected but untreated TB. Study results suggest a need for improved TB screening and diagnosis, particularly among high-risk PLHIV initiating ART, and reinforce the benefit of early ART and other TB prevention efforts.

Correction: Outcomes of Nigeria's HIV/AIDS Treatment Program for Patients Initiated on Antiretroviral Treatment between 2004-2012.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0165528.].

Outcomes of Nigeria's HIV/AIDS Treatment Program for Patients Initiated on Antiretroviral Treatment between 2004-2012.

BACKGROUND: The Nigerian Antiretroviral therapy (ART) program started in 2004 and now ranks among the largest in Africa. However, nationally representative data on outcomes have not been reported. METHODS: We evaluated retrospective cohort data from a nationally representative sample of adults aged ≥15 years who initiated ART during 2004 to 2012. Data were abstracted from 3,496 patient records at 35 sites selected using probability-proportional-to-size (PPS) sampling. Analyses were weighted and controlled for the complex survey design. The main outcome measures were mortality, loss to follow-up (LTFU), and retention (the proportion alive and on ART). Potential predictors of attrition were assessed using competing risk regression models. RESULTS: At ART initiation, 66.4 percent (%) were females, median age was 33 years, median weight 56 kg, median CD4 count 161 cells/mm3, and 47.1% had stage III/IV disease. The percentage of patients retained at 12, 24, 36 and 48 months was 81.2%, 74.4%, 67.2%, and 61.7%, respectively. Over 10,088 person-years of ART, mortality, LTFU, and overall attrition (mortality, LTFU, and treatment stop) rates were 1.1 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.7-1.8), 12.3 (95%CI: 8.9-17.0), and 13.9 (95% CI: 10.4-18.5) per 100 person-years (py) respectively. Highest attrition rates of 55.4/100py were witnessed in the first 3 months on ART. Predictors of LTFU included: lower-than-secondary level education (reference: Tertiary), care in North-East and South-South regions (reference: North-Central), presence of moderate/severe anemia, symptomatic functional status, and baseline weight <45kg. Predictor of mortality was WHO stage higher than stage I. Male sex, severe anemia, and care in a small clinic were associated with both mortality and LTFU. CONCLUSION: Moderate/Advanced HIV disease was predictive of attrition; earlier ART initiation could improve program outcomes. Retention interventions targeting men and those with lower levels of education are needed. Further research to understand geographic and clinic size variations with outcome is warranted.

Building and Strengthening Infection Control Strategies to Prevent Tuberculosis - Nigeria, 2015.

Tuberculosis (TB) is the leading cause of infectious disease mortality worldwide, accounting for more than 1.5 million deaths in 2014, and is the leading cause of death among persons living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection (1). Nigeria has the fourth highest annual number of TB cases among countries, with an estimated incidence of 322 per 100,000 population (1), and the second highest prevalence of HIV infection, with 3.4 million infected persons (2). In 2014, 100,000 incident TB cases and 78,000 TB deaths occurred among persons living with HIV infection in Nigeria (1). Nosocomial transmission is a significant source of TB infection in resource-limited settings (3), and persons with HIV infection and health care workers are at increased risk for TB infection because of their routine exposure to patients with TB in health care facilities (3-5). A lack of TB infection control in health care settings has resulted in outbreaks of TB and drug-resistant TB among patients and health care workers, leading to excess morbidity and mortality. In March 2015, in collaboration with the Nigeria Ministry of Health (MoH), CDC implemented a pilot initiative, aimed at increasing health care worker knowledge about TB infection control, assessing infection control measures in health facilities, and developing plans to address identified gaps. The approach resulted in substantial improvements in TB infection control practices at seven selected facilities, and scale-up of these measures across other facilities might lead to a reduction in TB transmission in Nigeria and globally.