Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on HIV service delivery and viral suppression: Findings from the SHARP program in Northern Nigeria.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, HIV programs scaled up differentiated service delivery (DSD) models for people living with HIV (PLHIV). We evaluated the effects of COVID-19 on HIV service delivery and viral suppression in facilities in Northern Nigeria, and determined factors associated with viral suppression among adolescents and adults. We analysed a cross-sectional survey data from facility heads, and retrospective, routinely collected patient data from 63 facilities for PLHIV ≥10 years old in care between April 2019-March 2021, defining study periods as "pre-COVID-19" (before April 2020) and "during COVID-19" (after April 2020). For the pre-COVID and the COVID-19 periods we compared uptake of antiretroviral therapy (ART) refills of ≥3 months (MMD3), and ≥6 months (MM6), missed appointments, viral load (VL) testing, VL testing turnaround time (TAT) and viral suppression among those on ART for ≥6 months using two proportions Z-test and t-tests. We fit a multivariable logistic regression model to determine factors associated with maintaining or achieving viral suppression. Of 84,776 patients, 58% were <40 years, 67% were female, 55% on ART for >5 years, 93% from facilities with community-based ART refill, a higher proportion were on MMD3 (95% versus 74%, p<0.001) and MMD6 (56% versus 22%, p<0.001) during COVID-19 than pre-COVID-19, and a higher proportion had VL testing during COVID-19 (55,271/69,630, [84%]) than pre-COVID-19 (47,747/68,934, [73%], p<0.001). Viral suppression was higher during COVID-19 pandemic compared to the pre-COVID era (93% [51,196/55,216] versus 91% [43,336/47,728], p<0.001), and there was a higher proportion of missed visits (40% [28,923/72,359] versus 39% [26,304/67,365], p<0.001) and increased VL TAT (mean number of days: 38 versus 36, p<0.001) during COVID-19 pandemic and pre-COVID period respectively. Factors associated with maintaining or achieving suppression during COVID-19 were receiving MMD3 and MMD6 refills (OR: 2.8 [95% CI: 2.30-3.47] and OR: 6.3 [95% CI: 5.11-7.69], respectively) and attending clinics with community-based ART refill (OR: 1.6 [95% CI: 1.39-1.87]). The program in Northern Nigeria demonstrated resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic and adoption of MMD had a positive impact on HIV care. Though VL TAT and missed clinic visits slightly increased during the pandemic, VL testing improved and viral suppression moved closer to 95%. Adoption of MMD and community-based models of care at scale are recommended for future pandemic preparedness.

From Paper Files to Web-Based Application for Data-Driven Monitoring of HIV Programs: Nigeria's Journey to a National Data Repository for Decision-Making and Patient Care.

BACKGROUND: Timely and reliable data are crucial for clinical, epidemiologic, and program management decision making. Electronic health information systems provide platforms for managing large longitudinal patient records. Nigeria implemented the National Data Repository (NDR) to create a central data warehouse of all people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLHIV) while providing useful functionalities to aid decision making at different levels of program implementation. OBJECTIVE: We describe the Nigeria NDR and its development process, including its use for surveillance, research, and national HIV program monitoring toward achieving HIV epidemic control. METHODS: Stakeholder engagement meetings were held in 2013 to gather information on data elements and vocabulary standards for reporting patient-level information, technical infrastructure, human capacity requirements, and information flow. Findings from these meetings guided the development of the NDR. An implementation guide provided common terminologies and data reporting structures for data exchange between the NDR and the electronic medical record (EMR) systems. Data from the EMR were encoded in extensible markup language and sent to the NDR over secure hypertext transfer protocol after going through a series of validation processes. RESULTS: By June 30, 2021, the NDR had up-to-date records of 1,477,064 (94.4%) patients receiving HIV treatment across 1,985 health facilities, of which 1,266,512 (85.7%) patient records had fingerprint template data to support unique patient identification and record linkage to prevent registration of the same patient under different identities. Data from the NDR was used to support HIV program monitoring, case-based surveillance and production of products like the monthly lists of patients who have treatment interruptions and dashboards for monitoring HIV test and start. CONCLUSION: The NDR enabled the availability of reliable and timely data for surveillance, research, and HIV program monitoring to guide program improvements to accelerate progress toward epidemic control.

Prevalence and risk factors for subclinical atherosclerosis amongst adults living with HIV in University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada.

Background: Subclinical atherosclerosis characterizes cardiovascular diseases (CVD), and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection and antiretroviral therapy (ART) are identified risk factors for atherosclerosis. Meanwhile, data on HIV and atherosclerosis in Nigeria are limited. Objectives: We sought to estimate the prevalence of subclinical atherosclerosis and associated risk factors amongst adult persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) enrolled at University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, Abuja (UATH). Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 277 consecutively selected PLHIV ≥18 years enrolled for HIV care and treatment at UATH. Pretested structured questionnaire was used to collect data from consenting ART-experienced and ART-naïve patients on risk factors of atherosclerosis. Carotid intima media thickness (CIMT) ≥0.71 mm as measured by Doppler ultrasonography was used to identify patients with sub-clinical atherosclerosis. Two logistic regression models with (Model-A) and without (Model-B) traditional risk factors were fitted to identify risk factors of subclinical atherosclerosis. Results: Participants' mean age was 39.44 ± 10.71 years with female preponderance (64.26%). Overall prevalence of subclinical atherosclerosis was 43.32% (62.25% in ART-experienced). Model-A identified male sex [AOR 4.33(1.74-10.76), p = 0.002], advancing age [30-39 years AOR 5.95(1.31-26.96), p = 0.021]; ≥40 years AOR 19.51(4.30-88.56), p ≤ 0.001), advancing HIV infection [≥WHO stage II AOR 4.19(1.11-15.92), p = 0.035], hypercholesterolemia [AOR 3.88(1.47-10.25), p ≤ 0.001] and ≥5 year duration on ART [AOR 9.05(3.16-25.92), p ≤ 0.001] as risk factors of subclinical atherosclerosis. In Model-B (excluding traditional risk factors) on the other hand, advancing HIV infection [≥WHO stage II AOR 3.93(1.19-13.042), p = 0.025] and duration on ART [≥5 years AOR 11.43(4.62-28.29), p = 0.001] were found as risk factors of subclinical atherosclerosis. Conclusion: Subclinical atherosclerosis was higher in ART-experienced patients, and this was irrespective of presence or absence of traditional risk factors. And advancing HIV disease and duration on ART were found as significant risk factors for subclinical atherosclerosis. We therefore recommend routine CVD risk screening in PLHIV.

Evaluation of the Nigeria national HIV rapid testing algorithm.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) diagnosis remains the gateway to HIV care and treatment. However, due to changes in HIV prevalence and testing coverage across different geopolitical zones, it is crucial to evaluate the national HIV testing algorithm as false positivity due to low prevalence could be detrimental to both the client and the service delivery. Therefore, we evaluated the performance of the national HIV rapid testing algorithm using specimens collected from multiple HIV testing services (HTS) sites and compared the results from different HIV prevalence levels across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. The evaluation employed a dual approach, retrospective, and prospective. The retrospective evaluation focused on a desktop review of program data (n = 492,880) collated from patients attending routine HTS from six geopolitical zones of Nigeria between January 2017 and December 2019. The prospective component utilized samples (n = 2,895) collected from the field at the HTS and tested using the current national serial HIV rapid testing algorithm. These samples were transported to the National Reference Laboratory (NRL), Abuja, and were re-tested using the national HIV rapid testing algorithm and HIV-1/2 supplementary assays (Geenius to confirm positives and resolve discordance and multiplex assay). The retrospective component of the study revealed that the overall proportion of HIV positives, based on the selected areas, was 5.7% (28,319/492,880) within the study period, and the discordant rate between tests 1 and 2 was 1.1%. The prospective component of the study indicated no significant differences between the test performed at the field using the national HIV rapid testing algorithm and the re-testing performed at the NRL. The comparison between the test performed at the field using the national HIV rapid testing algorithm and Geenius HIV-1/2 supplementary assay showed an agreement rate of 95.2%, while that of the NRL was 99.3%. In addition, the comparison of the field results with HIV multiplex assay indicated a sensitivity of 96.6%, the specificity of 98.2%, PPV of 97.0%, and Kappa Statistic of 0.95, and that of the NRL with HIV multiplex assay was 99.2%, 99.4%, 99.0%, and 0.99, respectively. Results show that the Nigeria national serial HIV rapid testing algorithm performed very well across the target settings. However, the algorithm's performance in the field was lower than the performance outcomes under a controlled environment in the NRL. There is a need to target testers in the field for routine continuous quality improvement implementation, including refresher trainings as necessary.

Estimating HIV incidence in the Akwa Ibom AIDS indicator survey (AKAIS), Nigeria using the limiting antigen avidity recency assay.

INTRODUCTION: HIV incidence estimates are important to characterize the status of an epidemic, identify locations and populations at high risk and to guide and evaluate HIV prevention interventions. We used the limiting antigen avidity assay (LAg) as part of a recent infection testing algorithm to estimate HIV incidence in the Akwa Ibom AIDS Indicator Survey (AKAIS), Nigeria. METHODS: In 2017, AKAIS, a cross-sectional population-based study was conducted at the household (HH) level in 31 local government areas (LGAs) of Akwa Ibom state. Of the 8963 participants aged ≥15 years who were administered questionnaires for demographic and behavioural data, 8306 consented to HIV rapid testing. Whole-blood specimens were collected from 394 preliminary HIV-seropositive individuals for CD4+ cell count determination and plasma storage. Samples were shipped to a central quality laboratory for HIV confirmatory testing and viral load determination. A total of 370 HIV-positive specimens were tested for the recent HIV infection using the LAg assay. RESULTS: Of the 8306 consenting adults, the HIV prevalence was 4.8%. Of the 370 HIV-positive samples tested for HIV recency, the median age was 35 years, 48.8% had CD4+ cell count >500/mm3 and 81.3% was not virally suppressed. Viral suppression was greater among females (21%) than for males (13%). A total of 11 specimens were classified as recent based on the LAg assay and HIV viral load ≥1000 copies/mL. The weighted, adjusted HIV-1 incidence was 0.41/100 person-years (95% CI 0.16 to 0.66); translating to 13,000 new cases of HIV infections annually in Akwa Ibom, a state with a population of 5.5 million. The HIV incidence rate was similar in females and males (0.41% and 0.42% respectively). The incidence rate was the highest among participants aged 15 to 49 years (0.44%, 95% CI 0.15 to 0.74) translating to 11,000 new infections annually, about 85% of all new infections in the state. CONCLUSIONS: The finding of the high HIV incidence among the 15 to 49-year age group calls for renewed and innovative efforts to prevent HIV infection among young adults in Akwa Ibom state.

Correlates of uptake of HIV testing among children and young adolescents in Akwa-Ibom state, Nigeria: a secondary data analysis of the Akwa-Ibom aids indicator survey, 2017.

BACKGROUND: In order to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030, there is a need to significantly reduce the rate of new infection among children and young adolescents. Identifying the correlates of testing behaviour is necessary to improve HIV testing campaigns by refining messages that target individuals in this age group. The objective of this study was to determine the correlates of HIV testing among children and young adolescents in Akwa-Ibom, Nigeria. METHODS: The outcome was a secondary data analysis of the 2017 Akwa-Ibom AIDS Indicator Survey. Data of 4037 children and young adolescents aged 0-14 years was assessed in this study. Analysis was done using STATA version 16. Chi-squared test and logistic regression models were used to measure association and its strength between uptake of HIV testing and some independent variables (child/caregiver's age, sex, educational status, child's location, caregiver's knowledge of HIV and caregiver ever tested for HIV) at 5% significance level. RESULTS: Result showed that only 14.2% of the children and young adolescents have been tested for HIV. Previous history of blood transfusion (AOR = 5.33, 95%C.I = 2.60-10.92, P = < 0.001), caregiver's level of education (AOR = 2.67, 95%C.I = 1.30-5.51, P = 0.008) and caregiver ever tested for HIV (AOR = 8.31, 95%C.I = 5.67-12.19, P = < 0.001) were significantly associated with uptake of HIV testing. CONCLUSION: This study concludes that a large proportion of children and young adolescents in Akwa-Ibom state have never been tested for HIV. There is a need for HIV testing interventions to be targeted towards this age groups and their parents/guardian. Addressing the knowledge gap amongst caregivers especially in rural areas is crucial towards improving the effectiveness of HIV testing interventions.

Akwa Ibom AIDS indicator survey: Key findings and lessons learnt.

BACKGROUND: The burden of HIV/AIDS epidemic is huge, but this varies widely by population in Nigeria. Data that could be used to guide the scale up of HIV prevention and control strategies has significant gaps. The study sought to estimate the prevalence of HIV and its associated determinants in Akwa Ibom state. METHODS: Akwa Ibom AIDS Indicator Survey (AKAIS) is a population based cross-sectional survey, with a two-stage probability sampling. The survey had both behavioural and biological components. Tablet-based questionnaire was used to collect data on participant's household information, demographics, socio-economic, and behavioral risk factors associated with HIV; while the biological component involved collection of venous blood samples for participants who were over 19months. For children aged 18months on less, capillary blood from finger prick sample was used. Participants were tested for HIV. Other biomarker tests for HIV positive participants included CD4, HIV-1 RNA viral load and incidence assays. RESULTS: In all 15,609 people (8,963 adults aged 15 years and older (55% females), 6,646 individuals less than 15 years (51% males), from 4,313 households, participated in AKAIS. Overall, 2.8% (423 persons; 422 HIV-1 and 1 HIV-2) were found to be HIV positive. HIV prevalence was 4.8% in adults (15 years and above) and 0.4% in pediatric (< = 14 years) participants. HIV prevalence was significantly higher in females (5.6%) than males (3.7%) aged 15 years and older (p <0.001). Overall HIV incidence was 0.41. CONCLUSIONS: HIV prevalence among adults was 4.8% with an overall incidence of 0.41%. These estimates are essential to inform strategic control and prevention of HIV epidemic in Akwa Ibom state targeting the affected populations.

HIV comprehensive knowledge and prevalence among young adolescents in Nigeria: evidence from Akwa Ibom AIDS indicator survey, 2017.

BACKGROUND: Despite the recent increase in HIV infections among adolescents, little is known about their HIV knowledge and perceptions. This study, therefore, sought to examine the factors associated with comprehensive HIV knowledge, stigma, and HIV risk perceptions among young adolescents aged 10-14 years in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Additionally, consenting parents and assenting young adolescents were tested for HIV. METHODS: We used cross-sectional data from the 2017 Akwa Ibom AIDS Indicator Survey to analyze comprehensive HIV knowledge, stigma, and HIV risk perceptions among young adolescents. Demographic characteristics of young adolescents were summarized using descriptive statistics. Chi-square test (or Fisher's exact test in cases of small subgroup sample sizes) was used to elicit associations between demographics and study outcomes. Separate multivariable logistic regression models were then conducted to determine associations with the study outcomes. Sampling weights were calculated in order to adjust for the sample design. P-values less than 0.05 were considered to be significant. RESULTS: A total of 1818 young adolescents were interviewed. The survey highlighted significant low levels of comprehensive HIV knowledge (9.4%) among young adolescents. Adolescent-parent discussions [AOR = 2.19, 95% C.I (1.10-4.38), p = 0.03], schools as sources of HIV information [AOR = 8.06, 95% C.I (1.70-38.33), p < 0.001], and sexual activeness [AOR = 2.55, 95% C.I (1.16-5.60), p = 0.02] were associated with comprehensive HIV knowledge. Majority (93%) of young adolescents perceived themselves not to be at risk of HIV. Overall, 81.5% of young adolescents reported stigmatizing tendencies towards people living with HIV. HIV prevalence among young adolescents was 0.6%. CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate low comprehensive HIV knowledge among young adolescents. Our findings suggest that there is a need for increased attention towards young adolescents particularly in the provision of comprehensive, functional sexuality education, including HIV at the family- and school-levels. Consequently, age appropriate interventions are needed to address the epidemiological risks of young adolescents that are influenced by a myriad of social issues.

Effect of HIV and malaria parasites co-infection on immune-hematological profiles among patients attending anti-retroviral treatment (ART) clinic in Infectious Disease Hospital Kano, Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and malaria co-infection may present worse health outcomes in the tropics. Information on HIV/malaria co-infection effect on immune-hematological profiles is critical for patient care and there is a paucity of such data in Nigeria. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate immune-hematological profiles among HIV infected patients compared to HIV/malaria co-infected for ART management improvement. METHODS: This was a cross sectional study conducted at Infectious Disease Hospital, Kano. A total of 761 consenting adults attending ART clinic were randomly selected and recruited between June and December 2015. Participants' characteristics and clinical details including two previous CD4 counts were collected. Venous blood sample (4ml) was collected in EDTA tube for malaria parasite diagnosis by rapid test and confirmed with microscopy. Hematological profiles were analyzed by Sysmex XP-300 and CD4 count by Cyflow cytometry. Data was analyzed with SPSS 22.0 using Chi-Square test for association between HIV/malaria parasites co-infection with age groups, gender, ART, cotrimoxazole and usage of treated bed nets. Mean hematological profiles by HIV/malaria co-infection and HIV only were compared using independent t-test and mean CD4 count tested by mixed design repeated measures ANOVA. Statistical significant difference at probability of <0.05 was considered for all variables. RESULTS: Of the 761 HIV infected, 64% were females, with a mean age of ± (SD) 37.30 (10.4) years. Prevalence of HIV/malaria co-infection was 27.7% with Plasmodium falciparum specie accounting for 99.1%. No statistical significant difference was observed between HIV/malaria co-infection in association to age (p = 0.498) and gender (p = 0.789). A significantly (p = 0.026) higher prevalence (35.2%) of co-infection was observed among non-ART patients compared to (26%) ART patients. Prevalence of co-infection was significantly lower (20.0%) among cotrimoxazole users compared to those not on cotrimoxazole (37%). The same significantly lower co-infection prevalence (22.5%) was observed among treated bed net users compared to those not using treated bed nets (42.9%) (p = 0.001). Out of 16 hematology profiles evaluated, six showed significant difference between the two groups (i) packed cell volume (p = <0.001), (ii) mean cell volume (p = 0.005), (iii) mean cell hemoglobin concentration (p = 0.011), (iv) absolute lymphocyte count (p = 0.022), (v) neutrophil percentage count (p = 0.020) and (vi) platelets distribution width (p = <0.001). Current mean CD4 count cell/µl (349±12) was significantly higher in HIV infected only compared to co-infected (306±17), (p = 0.035). A significantly lower mean CD4 count (234.6 ± 6.9) was observed among respondents on ART compared to non-ART (372.5 ± 13.2), p<0.001, mean difference = -137.9). CONCLUSION: The study revealed a high burden of HIV and malaria co-infection among the studied population. Co-infection was significantly lower among patients who use treated bed nets as well as cotrimoxazole chemotherapy and ART. Six hematological indices differed significantly between the two groups. Malaria and HIV co-infection significantly reduces CD4 count. In general, to achieve better management of all HIV patients in this setting, diagnosing malaria, prompt antiretroviral therapy, monitoring CD4 and some hematology indices on regular basis is critical.

Playing the Catch-Up Game: Accelerating the Scale-Up of Prevention of Mother-To-Child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT) Services to Eliminate New Pediatric HIV Infection in Nigeria.

INTRODUCTION: As the world is making progress towards elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, poor coverage of PMTCT services in Nigeria remains a major challenge. In order to address this, scale-up was planned with activities organized into 3 phases. This paper describes the process undertaken in eight high burden Nigerian states to rapidly close PMTCT coverage gaps at facility and population levels between February 2013 and March 2014. METHODS: Activities were grouped into three phases-pre-assessment phase (engagement of a wide range of stakeholders), assessment (rapid health facility assessment, a cross sectional survey using mixed methods conducted in the various states between Feb and May 2013 and impact modelling), and post-assessment (drawing up costed state operational plans to achieve eMTCT by 2015, data-driven smart scale-up). RESULTS: Over a period of 10 months starting June 2013, 2044 facilities were supported to begin provision of PMTCT services. This increased facility coverage from 8% to 50%. A 246% increase was also recorded in the number of pregnant women and their families who have access to HIV testing and counselling in the context of PMTCT. Similarly, access to antiretrovirals for PMTCT has witnessed a 152% increase in these eight states between October 2013 and October 2014. CONCLUSION: A data-driven and participatory approach can be used to rapidly scale-up PMTCT services at community and facility levels in this region. These results present us with hope for real progress in Nigeria. We are confident that the efforts described here will contribute significantly to eliminating new pediatric HIV infection in Nigeria.

Adherence to On-Time ART Drug Pick-Up and Its Association with CD4 Changes and Clinical Outcomes Amongst HIV Infected Adults on First-Line Antiretroviral Therapy in Nigerian Hospitals.

Medication adherence is a major determinant of antiretroviral treatment (ART) success. Promptness in medication refill pick-ups may give an indication of medication adherence. This study determined medication refill adherence among HIV positive patients on ART and its association with treatment outcomes in HIV treatment centers in Nigeria. This retrospective multi-center cohort study involved a review of ART refill records for 3534 HIV-positive patients aged 18-60 years who initiated first-line ART between January 2008 and December 2009 and were on therapy for ≥18 months after ART initiation. Drug refill records of these patients for 10 consecutive refill visits after ART initiation were analyzed. The first ten consecutive refill appointment-keeping rates after ART initiation ranged from 64.3 % to 76.1 % which decreased with successive visits. Altogether, 743 (21.1 %) patients were deemed adherent, meaning they picked up their drugs within 7 days of the drug refill appointment date on at least nine out of ten refill visits. The adherent group of patients had a mean CD4 cells increase of 206 ± 6.1 cells/dl after 12 months of ART compared to 186 ± 7.1 cells/dl reported among the nonadherent group (p = 0.0145). The proportion of patients in the adherent category who showed no OIs after 12 months on ART (81 %) was significantly higher when compared to the proportion in the non-adherent category (23.5 %), (p = 0.008). The multivariate analysis showed that the odds of being adherent was 2-3 times more in patients who had a baseline CD4 count of less than 200 cells/dl compared to those with a baseline CD4 of >350 cells/dl. (AOR 2.43, 95 % CI 1.62-3.66). In addition, for patients with baseline CD4 cell count of 201-350 cells/dl, the odds of being adherent was found to be 1.9 compared to those with baseline CD4 of greater than 350 cells/dl (AOR 1.93, 95 % CI 1.27-2.94). Pharmacy refill data can serve as an adherence measure. Adherence to on-time drug pickup on ≥90 % of refill appointments was associated with a better CD4 count response and a reduction in the presence of opportunistic infections in ART patients after 12 months of treatment.

Implementing and measuring the level of laboratory service integration in a program setting in Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: The surge of donor funds to fight HIV&AIDS epidemic inadvertently resulted in the setup of laboratories as parallel structures to rapidly respond to the identified need. However these parallel structures are a threat to the existing fragile laboratory systems. Laboratory service integration is critical to remedy this situation. This paper describes an approach to quantitatively measure and track integration of HIV-related laboratory services into the mainstream laboratory services and highlight some key intervention steps taken, to enhance service integration. METHOD: A quantitative before-and-after study conducted in 122 Family Health International (FHI360) supported health facilities across Nigeria. A minimum service package was identified including management structure; trainings; equipment utilization and maintenance; information, commodity and quality management for laboratory integration. A check list was used to assess facilities at baseline and 3 months follow-up. Level of integration was assessed on an ordinal scale (0 = no integration, 1 = partial integration, 2 = full integration) for each service package. A composite score grading expressed as a percentage of total obtainable score of 14 was defined and used to classify facilities (≤ 80% FULL, 25% to 79% PARTIAL and <25% NO integration). Weaknesses were noted and addressed. RESULTS: We analyzed 9 (7.4%) primary, 104 (85.2%) secondary and 9 (7.4%) tertiary level facilities. There were statistically significant differences in integration levels between baseline and 3 months follow-up period (p<0.01). Baseline median total integration score was 4 (IQR 3 to 5) compared to 7 (IQR 4 to 9) at 3 months follow-up (p = 0.000). Partial and fully integrated laboratory systems were 64 (52.5%) and 0 (0.0%) at baseline, compared to 100 (82.0%) and 3 (2.4%) respectively at 3 months follow-up (p = 0.000). DISCUSSION: This project showcases our novel approach to measure the status of each laboratory on the integration continuum.

Integrating cervical cancer screening with HIV care in a district hospital in Abuja, Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Human immunodeficiency virus positive (HIV+) women have a higher risk of developing invasive cervical cancer compared with uninfected women. This study aims to document programmatic experience of integrating cervical cancer screening using Visual Inspection and Acetic Acid (VIA) into HIV care as well as to describe patients' characteristics associated with positive VIA findings amongst HIV+ women. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study analysed routine service data collected at the antiretroviral therapy (ART) and cervical cancer screening services. Our program integrated screening for cervical cancer using VIA technique to HIV care and treatment services through a combination of stakeholder engagement, capacity building for health workers, creating a bi-directional referral between HIV and reproductive health (RH) services and provider initiated counselling and screening for cervical cancer. Information on patients' baseline and clinical characteristics were captured using an electronic medical records system and then exported to Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Logistic regression model was used to estimate factors that influence VIA results. RESULTS: A total of 834 HIV+ women were offered VIA screening between April 2010 and April 2011, and 805 (96.5%) accepted it. Complete data was available for 802 (96.2%) women. The mean age at screening and first sexual contact were 32.0 (SD 6.6) and 18.8 (SD 3.5) years, respectively. VIA was positive in 52 (6.5%) women while 199 (24.8%) had a sexually transmitted infection (STI). Of the 199 who had a STI, eight (4.0%) had genital ulcer syndrome, 30 (15.1%) had lower abdominal pain syndrome and 161 (80.9%) had vaginal discharge syndrome. Presence of lower abdominal pain syndrome was found to be a significant predictor of a positive VIA result (P = 0.001). Women with lower abdominal pain syndrome appeared to be more likely (OR 47.9, 95% CI: 4.8-480.4, P = 0.001) to have a positive VIA result. CONCLUSION: The high burden of both HIV and cervical cancer in developing countries makes it a necessity for integrating services that offer early detection and treatment for both diseases. The findings from our study suggest that integrating VIA screening into the package of care offered to HIV+ women is feasible and acceptable.

The pattern of attrition from an antiretroviral treatment program in Nigeria.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the rate and factors associated with attrition of patients receiving ART in tertiary and secondary hospitals in Nigeria. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We reviewed patient level data collected between 2007 and 2010 from 11 hospitals across Nigeria. Kaplan-Meier product-limit and Cox regression were used to determine probability of retention in care and risk factors for attrition respectively. Of 6,408 patients in the cohort, 3,839 (59.9%) were females, median age of study population was 33years (IQR: 27-40) and 4,415 (69%) were from secondary health facilities. The NRTI backbone was Stavudine (D4T) in 3708 (57.9%) and Zidovudine (ZDV) in 2613 (40.8%) of patients. Patients lost to follow up accounted for 62.7% of all attrition followed by treatment stops (25.3%) and deaths (12.0%). Attrition was 14.1 (N = 624) and 15.1% (N = 300) in secondary and tertiary hospitals respectively (p = 0.169) in the first 12 months on follow up. During the 13 to 24 months follow up period, attrition was 10.7% (N = 407) and 19.6% (N = 332) in secondary and tertiary facilities respectively (p<0.001). Median time to lost to follow up was 11.1 (IQR: 6.1 to 18.5) months in secondary compared with 13.6 (IQR: 9.9 to 17.0) months in tertiary sites (p = 0.002). At 24 months follow up, male gender [AHR 1.18, 95% CI: 1.01-1.37, P = 0.038]; WHO clinical stage III [AHR 1.30, 95%CI: 1.03-1.66, P = 0.03] and clinical stage IV [AHR 1.90, 95%CI: 1.20-3.02, p = 0.007] and care in a tertiary hospital [AHR 2.21, 95% CI: 1.83-2.67, p<0.001], were associated with attrition. CONCLUSION: Attrition could potentially be reduced by decentralizing patients on ART after the first 12 months on therapy to lower level facilities, earlier initiation on treatment and strengthening adherence counseling amongst males.

Reducing mother-to-child transmission of HIV: findings from an early infant diagnosis program in south-south region of Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Early diagnosis of HIV in infants provides a critical opportunity to strengthen follow-up of HIV-exposed children and assure early access to antiretroviral (ARV) treatment for infected children. This study describes findings from an Early Infant Diagnosis (EID) program and the effectiveness of a prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) intervention in six health facilities in Cross-River and Akwa-Ibom states, south-south Nigeria. METHODS: This was a retrospective study. Records of 702 perinatally exposed babies aged six weeks to 18 months who had a DNA PCR test between November 2007 and July 2009 were reviewed. Details of the ARV regimen received to prevent mother-to-child transmission (MTCT), breastfeeding choices, HIV test results, turn around time (TAT) for results and post test ART enrolment status of the babies were analysed. RESULTS: Two-thirds of mother-baby pairs received ARVs and 560 (80%) babies had ever been breastfed. Transmission rates for mother-baby pairs who received ARVs for PMTCT was 4.8% (CI 1.3, 8.3) at zero to six weeks of age compared to 19.5% (CI 3.0, 35.5) when neither baby nor mother received an intervention. Regardless of intervention, the transmission rates for babies aged six weeks to six months who had mixed feeding was 25.6% (CI 29.5, 47.1) whereas the transmission rates for those who were exclusively breastfed was 11.8% (CI 5.4, 18.1). Vertical transmission of HIV was eight times (AOR 7.8, CI: 4.52-13.19) more likely in the sub-group of mother-baby pairs who did not receive ARVS compared with mother-baby pairs that did receive ARVs. The median TAT for test results was 47 days (IQR: 35-58). A follow-up of 125 HIV positive babies found that 31 (25%) were enrolled into a paediatric ART program, nine (7%) were known to have died before the return of their DNA PCR results, and 85 (67%) could not be traced and were presumed to be lost-to-follow-up. CONCLUSION: Reduction of MTCT of HIV is possible with effective PMTCT interventions, including improved access to ARVs for PMTCT and appropriate infant feeding practices. Loss to follow up of HIV exposed infants is a challenge and requires strategies to enhance retention.