Potentially High Number of Ineffective Drugs with the Standard Shorter Course Regimen for Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis Treatment in Haiti.

Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) outcomes are poor partly because of the long treatment duration; the World Health Organization conditionally recommends a shorter course regimen to potentially improve treatment outcomes. Here, we describe the drug susceptibility patterns of a cohort of MDR-TB patients in Haiti and determine the number of likely effective drugs if they were treated with the recommended shorter course regimen. We retrospectively examined drug susceptibility patterns of adults initiating MDR-TB treatment between 2008 and 2015 at the Haitian Group for the Study of Kaposi's Sarcoma and Opportunistic Infections in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. First- and second-line drug susceptibility testing (DST) was analyzed and used to determine the number of presumed effective drugs. Of the 239 patients analyzed, 226 (95%), 183 (77%), 135 (57%), and 38 (16%) isolates were resistant to high-dose isoniazid, ethambutol, pyrazinamide, and ethionamide, respectively. Eight patients (3%) had resistance to either a fluoroquinolone or a second-line injectable and none had extensively resistant TB. Of the 239 patients, 132 (55%) would have fewer than five likely effective drugs in the intensive phase of the recommended shorter course regimen and 121 (51%) would have two or fewer likely effective drugs in the continuation phase. Because of the high rates of resistance to first-line TB medications, about 50% of MDR-TB patients would be left with only two effective drugs in the continuation phase of the recommended shorter course regimen, raising concerns about the effectiveness of this regimen in Haiti and the importance of using DST to guide treatment.

Live with the Disease Like You Used to Before You Knew You Were Infected: A Qualitative Study Among 10-Year Survivors Living with HIV in Haiti.

In 2003, the Haitian Study Group on Kaposi's Sarcoma and Opportunistic Infections (GHESKIO), a nonprofit organization, began administering antiretroviral therapy (ART) to its patients. This practice transformed HIV from a fatal disease to a more manageable chronic condition. However, relatively few studies focus on the experiences of survivors. This study provided a unique opportunity to interview patients who survived at least 10 years after being treated with ART at GHESKIO. The goal of the study was to elicit from patients their perspectives on what enabled them to survive with AIDS. Grounded Theory, a qualitative research method was used to guide data collection, coding, and analysis. Individual interviews were conducted, audio-taped, transcribed and analyzed in Creole, and translated into English. Data saturation was reached at 25 participants. Of which, 64% were women, the mean age was 49, range of 43-55 years, 24% were married, 44% had not completed elementary school, and 72% had no income, the remaining participants had incomes ranging from $1000 to $5000 annually. Qualitative analysis resulted in 681 codes, which were grouped into six categories: being spiritually grounded, having supportive interactions with providers, caring for children, setting personal goals, persevering and living life as usual, and maintaining strict medication adherence practices. The overarching theory was that having a reason to live despite one's circumstances and living life as usual enabled one to survive. Having a strong spiritual foundation coupled with supportive family and providers motivated participants to live and adhere to their ART. As the number of patients who are living longer with HIV in Haiti increases, results from this study will be important in helping tailor interventions that enhance their overall quality of life.

Growth in late infancy among HIV-exposed children in urban Haiti is associated with participation in a clinic-based infant feeding support intervention.

The integration of nutrition support for infants of HIV-infected mothers is a recognized need; however, the evidence for effective programmatic solutions is weak. The objective of our study was to implement and evaluate a new infant feeding support intervention for HIV-exposed, uninfected, non-breast-fed infants 6-12 mo of age attending the Groupe Haïtien d'Etude du Sarcome de Kaposi et des Infections Opportunistes (GHESKIO) pediatric clinic in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The 24-wk intervention included a lipid-based nutrient supplement, education, promotion of existing clinical services, and social support. We compared growth outcomes among intervention participants (n = 73) at start (wk 0) and end (wk 24) of intervention to a historical control group of HIV-exposed infants seen at the GHESKIO in the year prior to the intervention who would have met the intervention entrance criteria (n = 294). The intervention and historical control groups did not differ significantly at age 6 mo (wk 0). At age 12 mo (wk 24), the intervention group had a lower prevalence of underweight and stunting than the historical control group (weight-for-age Z-score < -2 SD: 6.8 vs. 20.8%, P = 0.007; length-for-age Z-score < -2 SD: 9.6 vs. 21.2%, P = 0.029). Wasting tended to be lower in the intervention group than the historical control (weight-for-length Z-score < -2 SD: 2.9 vs. 8.9%, P = 0.11). Implementation of the intervention was associated with reduced risk of growth faltering in HIV-exposed uninfected children from 6 to 12 mo of age. This is a promising intervention model that can be adapted and scaled-up to other HIV care contexts.