Progress towards the UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets among persons aged 50 and older living with HIV in 13 African countries.

INTRODUCTION: Achieving optimal HIV outcomes, as measured by global 90-90-90 targets, that is awareness of HIV-positive status, receipt of antiretroviral (ARV) therapy among aware and viral load (VL) suppression among those on ARVs, respectively, is critical. However, few data from sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are available on older people (50+) living with HIV (OPLWH). We examined 90-90-90 progress by age, 15-49 (as a comparison) and 50+ years, with further analyses among 50+ (55-59, 60-64, 65+ vs. 50-54), in 13 countries (Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe). METHODS: Using data from nationally representative Population-based HIV Impact Assessments, conducted between 2015and 2019, participants from randomly selected households provided demographic and clinical information and whole blood specimens for HIV serology, VL and ARV testing. Survey weighted outcomes were estimated for 90-90-90 targets. Country-specific Poisson regression models examined 90-90-90 variation among OPLWH age strata. RESULTS: Analyses included 24,826 HIV-positive individuals (15-49 years: 20,170; 50+ years: 4656). The first, second and third 90 outcomes were achieved in 1, 10 and 5 countries, respectively, by those aged 15-49, while OPLWH achieved outcomes in 3, 13 and 12 countries, respectively. Among those aged 15-49, women were more likely to achieve 90-90-90 targets than men; however, among OPLWH, men were more likely to achieve first and third 90 targets than women, with second 90 achievement being equivalent. Country-specific 90-90-90 regression models among OPLWH demonstrated minimal variation by age stratum across 13 countries. Among OLPWH, no first 90 target differences were noted by age strata; three countries varied in the second 90 by older age strata but not in a consistent direction; one country showed higher achievement of the third 90 in an older age stratum. CONCLUSIONS: While OPLWH in these 13 countries were slightly more likely than younger people to be aware of their HIV-positive status (first 90), this target was not achieved in most countries. However, OPLWH achieved treatment (second 90) and VL suppression (third 90) targets in more countries than PLWH <50. Findings support expanded HIV testing, prevention and treatment services to meet ongoing OPLWH health needs in SSA.

A quality improvement approach to capacity building in low- and middle-income countries.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the HEALTHQUAL framework consisting of the following three components: performance measurement, quality improvement and the quality management program, representing an adaptive approach to building capacity in national quality management programs in low and middle-income countries. DESIGN: We present a case study from Namibia illustrating how this approach is adapted to country context. METHODS: HEALTHQUAL partners with Ministries of Health to build knowledge and expertise in modern improvement methods, including data collection, analysis and reporting, process analysis and the use of data to implement quality improvement projects that aim to improve systems and processes of care. Clinical performance measures are selected in each country by the Ministry of Health on the basis of national guidelines. Patient records are sampled using a standardized statistical table to achieve a minimum confidence interval of 90%, with a spread of ±8% in participating facilities. Data are routinely reviewed to identify gaps in patient care, and aggregated to produce facility mean scores that are trended over time. A formal organizational assessment is conducted at facility and national levels to review the implementation progress. RESULTS: Aggregate mean rates of performance for 10 of 11 indicators of HIV care improved for adult HIV-positive patients between 2008 and 2013. CONCLUSIONS: Quality improvement is an approach to capacity building and health systems strengthening that offers adaptive methodology. Synergistic implementation of elements of a national quality program can lead to improvements in care, in parallel with systematic capacity development for measurement, improvement and quality management throughout the healthcare delivery system.

Nurse task shifting for antiretroviral treatment services in Namibia: implementation research to move evidence into action.

BACKGROUND: Evidence from several sub-Saharan countries support nurse-initiated antiretroviral treatment as a feasible alternative to doctor-led models characteristic of early responses to the HIV epidemic. However, service delivery models shown to be effective in one country may not be readily adopted in another. This study used an implementation research approach to assist policy makers and other stakeholders to assess the acceptability and feasibility of task shifting in the Namibian context. METHODS: The Namibian Ministry of Health and Social Services implemented a Task Shifting Demonstration Project (TSDP) at 9 sites at different levels of the health system. Six months after implementation, a mixed methods evaluation was conducted. Seventy semi-structured interviews were conducted with patients, managers, doctors and nurses directly involved with the TSDP. Physician-evaluators observed and compared health service provision between doctors and nurses for 40 patients (80 observations), documenting performance in agreement with the national guidelines on 13 clinical care indicators. RESULTS: Doctors, nurses, and patients interviewed believed task shifting would improve access to and quality of HIV services. Doctors and nurses both reported an increase in nurses' skills as a result of the project. Observation data showed doctors and nurses were in considerable agreement (>80%) with each other on all dimensions of HIV care and ≥90% on eight dimensions. To ensure success of national scale-up of the task shifting model, challenges involving infrastructure, on-going mentoring, and nursing scope of practice should be anticipated and addressed. CONCLUSION: In combination with findings from other studies in the region, data from the TSDP provided critical and timely information to the Namibian Ministry of Health and Social Services, thus helping to move evidence into action. Small-scale implementation research projects enable stakeholders to learn by doing, and provide an opportunity to test and modify the intervention before expansion.