Caregivers' experiences of accessing HIV Early Infant Diagnosis (EID) services and its barriers and facilitators, India.

BACKGROUND: India has rolled out Early Infant Diagnosis (EID) program for HIV infection in all states. EID program consists of testing of Infants exposed to HIV periodically over 18 months of age which is a multi-step complex testing cascade. Caregivers represent the primary beneficiary of EID program i.e., infants exposed to HIV and face multiple challenges to access EID services. As part of national EID program outcome assessment study, this study narrates caregivers' perspectives on barriers and facilitators to access and utilize EID services. METHODS: The study was conducted in 31 integrated counselling and testing centres (ICTCs) located in 11 high burden HIV states. A total of 66 in-depth interviews were conducted with caregivers' of infants enrolled in EID program. Thematic analysis was carried out to help identify themes underlying barriers and facilitators to access EID services and utilization from caregivers' perspectives. RESULTS: The stigma and discrimination prevalent in society about HIV remains a key demand side (caregiver-level) barrier. Non-disclosure or selective disclosure of HIV status led to missed or delayed EID tests and delayed HIV diagnosis and initiation of Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) for infants exposed to HIV. On supply side (health system-level), accessibility of healthcare facility with EID services was reported as a key barrier. The distance, time and cost were key concerns. Many caregivers faced difficulties to remember the details of complex EID test schedule and relied on a phone call from ICTC counsellor for next due EID test. Delayed EID test results and lack of communication of test results to caregiver were reported as primary barriers for completing the EID test cascade. DISCUSSION: The study reports caregiver-level and health system-level barriers and facilitators for access to EID services from the caregivers' perspectives. While, decentralisation and single window approaches can improve the access, timely communication of test results to the caregiver also need to be built in with appropriate use of technology. A holistic intervention including PLHIV support networks and the peer-led support mechanisms would be useful to address societal factors. CONCLUSION: The study findings have high significance for developing program implementation strategies to improve access and to build right-based and patient-centred EID services.

Loss to follow-up of HIV-exposed infants for confirmatory HIV test under Early Infant Diagnosis program in India: analysis of national-level data from reference laboratories.

BACKGROUND: Early Infant Diagnosis was launched in India in 2010 and its effect on the diagnosis of HIV-exposed infants needs to be assessed. The present study was done to find out the median age at DBS sample collection for early infant diagnosis and its trend over years, the median age at diagnosis of HIV among the HIV-exposed infants with DNA PCR tests, and the proportion of infants who completed testing cascades after detection of HIV-1 in a sample. METHODS: DNA PCR data (from 2013 to 2017) maintained at all regional reference laboratories in India was collated with each infant identified by a unique code. Cohort analysis of the infant data was used to find the median age at sample collection and diagnosis. The outcomes of testing in each cascade and the overall outcomes of testing for infants were prepared. RESULTS: The median age at sample collection for the four years combined at all India level was 60 days (48-110 days). The median age at diagnosis of HIV was 285 days (174-418 days). HIV-1 was detected in samples of 1897 (6.3%) infants out of 30,216 infants who had a DNA PCR test, out of whom 1070 (56.4%) completed the testing cascade and the rest were lost to follow-up. CONCLUSION: The data highlights delay in diagnosis; both due to delay in sample collection and turn-around-times. Loss to follow-up of HIV-exposed infants with virus detection is a significant concern to the Early Infant Diagnosis and tracking systems need to be strengthened.

ESSENCE: An Implementation Research Program to Scale Up Depression Care in Rural Communities.

BACKGROUND: Task sharing may involve training nonspecialist health workers (NSHWs) to deliver brief mental health interventions. This approach is promising for reducing the global mental health treatment gap. However, capacity is limited for training large cadres of frontline workers in low- and middle-income countries, hindering uptake of these interventions at scale. METHODS: The ESSENCE (enabling translation of science to service to enhance depression care) project in Madhya Pradesh, India, aims to address these challenges through two sequential randomized controlled trials. First, a training trial will evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of digital training, compared with conventional face-to-face training, in achieving clinical competency of NSHWs in delivering an intervention for depression. This initial trial will be followed by an implementation trial aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of a remote enhanced implementation support, compared with routine implementation support, in addressing barriers to delivery of depression care in primary care facilities. RESULTS: This project involved developing and pilot testing a scalable smartphone-based program for training NSHWs to deliver a brief psychological intervention for depression screening. This initial research guided a randomized trial of a digital training approach with NSHWs to evaluate the effectiveness of this approach. This trial will be followed by a cluster-randomized trial to evaluate the effectiveness of remote implementation support in ensuring efficient delivery of depression care in primary care facilities. NEXT STEPS: Findings from these trials may inform sustainable training and implementation support models to integrate depression care into primary care for scale-up in resource-constrained settings.

Determinants of Turn-Around-Time for Early Infant Diagnosis of HIV Testing: Retrospective Analysis of National Level PCR Testing Data.

India has been implementing one of the biggest Early Infant Diagnosis (EID) of HIV intervention globally. The turn-around-time (TAT) for EID test is one of the major factors for success of the program. This study was to assess the turnaround time and its determinants. It is a mixed methods study with quantitative analysis of retrospective data (2013-2016) collected from all the 7 Early Infant Diagnosis testing laboratories (called as regional reference laboratories or RRLs) in India and qualitative component that can help explain the determinants of turn-around-time. The retrospective national level data available from the RRLs was analyzed to measure the turn-around-time from the receipt of samples to the dispatch of results and to understand the determinants for the same. The 3 components transport time, testing time, and dispatch time were also calculated. Transport time was analyzed state-wise and the testing time RRL wise to understand disparities, if any. Qualitative interviews with the RRL officials were conducted to understand the underlying determinants of TAT. The Median turn-around-time ranged between 29 and 53 days over the 4 years. Transport time was significantly higher for states without RRL (42 days) than those with RRL (27 days). Testing time varied from RRL to RRL and was associated with incomplete forms, inadequate samples, kits logistics, staff turnover, staff training, and instrument related issues. The TAT is high and can be potentially reduced with interventions, such as decentralization of RRLs; courier systems for sample transport; and ensuring adequate resources at the RRL level.

Access, timeliness and retention for HIV testing under early infant diagnosis (EID) program, India.

Early Infant Diagnosis of HIV infection services are crucial for managing the perinatally acquired HIV infection. Assessing the performance of the EID services and its underlying determinants is important for the National AIDS Control Program, India. The objectives of this study were to find out access to HIV testing, the timeliness of the testing cascade, and the proportion of HIV exposed infants who are followed up to 18 months for a definitive diagnosis of HIV. The study design was a mixed method. A total of 11 states accounting for 80% of HIV-positive pregnant women were selected. Program records from a total of 62 Integrated counselling and testing centres (ICTCs) served as the source of information. The qualitative component included interviews of program managers at the state and district level, service providers at the ICTC level, and caregivers of HIV exposed infants. In the sampled 62 ICTCs, 78% of the HIV exposed infants had at least one HIV test. Of the infants who had HIV tests, 50% had at first sample collected by 8 weeks of age. The median turnaround time from sample collection to DNA PCR testing was 36 (IQR 19-70) days and that to next sample collection in case of detection of virus in the first sample was 66 (IQR 55-116) days. At 18 months of age, 544 (62%) HIV exposed infants were retained in the EID testing cascade. A total of 30 infants were diagnosed with HIV at a median age of 421 (IQR 149-650) days. More than three fourth of the HIV exposed infants had access to early infant diagnosis (EID) services. Both demand and supply-side factors contribute to access, timeliness and retention and there is a need to address these factors.