Correction: Retention in care among people living with HIV in the national antiretroviral therapy programme in Guinea: A retrospective cohort analysis.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0000970.].

Retention in care among people living with HIV in the national antiretroviral therapy programme in Guinea: A retrospective cohort analysis.

Few studies have investigated retention in HIV care in West Africa. We measured retention in antiretroviral therapy (ART) programmes among people living with HIV and re-engagement in care among those lost to follow up (LTFU) in Guinea and identified associated risk factors using survival analysis. Patient-level data were analysed from 73 ART sites. Treatment interruptions and LTFU were defined as missing a ART refill appointment by over 30 days and by over 90 days respectively. A total of 26,290 patients initiating ART between January 2018 and September 2020 were included in the analysis. The mean age at ART initiation was of 36.2 years, with women accounting for 67% of the cohort. Retention 12 months after ART initiation was 48.7% (95%CI 48.1-49.4%). The LTFU rate was 54.5 per 1000 person-months (95% CI 53.6-55.4), with the peak hazards of LTFU occurring after the first visit and decreasing steadily over time. In an adjusted analysis, the hazards of LTFU were higher among men compared to women (aHR = 1.10; 95%CI 1.08-1.12), being aged 13-25 years old versus older patients (aHR = 1.07; 95%CI = 1.03-1.13), and among those initating ART in smaller health facilities (aHR = 1.52; 95%CI 1.45-1.60). Among 14,683 patients with an LTFU event, 4,896 (33.3%) re-engaged in care, of whom 76% did so within six months from LTFU. The re-engagement rate was 27.1 per 1000 person-months (95%CI 26.3-27.9). Treatment interruptions were correlated with rainfall patterns and end of year mobility patterns. Rates of retention and re-engagement in care are very low in Guinea, undermining the effectiveness and durability of first-line ART regimens. Tracing interventions and differentiated service delivery of ART, including multi-month dispensing may improve care engagement, especially in rural areas. Further research should investigate social and health systems barriers to retention in care.

Dataset on the RETRO-BMC cruise onboard the R/V Hespérides, April 2017, Brazil-Malvinas Confluence.

This dataset, gathered during the RETRO-BMC cruise, reports multiple-scale measurements at the Confluence of the Brazil and Malvinas Currents. The cruise was carried out between 8 and 28 April 2017 onboard R/V Hespérides, departing from Ushuaia and arriving to Santos. Along its track, the vessel recorded near-surface temperature and salinity, as well as the horizontal flow from 20 m down to about 800 m. A total of 33 hydrographic stations were completed in a region off the Patagonian Shelf, within 41.2°S-35.9°S and out to 53.0°W. At each station, a multiparametric probe and velocity sensors were deployed inside the frame of a rosette used to collect water samples at selected depths; these samples were later used for several water analyses, including inorganic nutrient concentrations. Microstructure measurements were carried out in 11 of these hydrographic stations. In addition, two high-resolution three-dimensional surveys were conducted with an instrumented undulating vehicle between 40.6°S-39.0°S and 55.6°W-53.8°W. Lastly, eight high-frequency vertical profilers were deployed in the region and five position-transmitting drifters were launched. These data allow the description of the Confluence from the regional scale to the microscale, and provide a view of the variability of the frontal region on time scales from days to weeks.