Exploring how stay-at-home orders during the COVID-19 pandemic impedes engagement along the HIV/AIDS care continuum in public hospitals of Southwest Ethiopia: a qualitative study.
Front Public Health
; 12: 1273448, 2024.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38952732
ABSTRACT
Introduction:
COVID-19 has rapidly spread across the world. In March 2020, shortly after the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Ethiopia in March 2020, the government of Ethiopia took several measures.Purpose:
This study aims to explore how stay-at-home orders during the COVID-19 pandemic hinder engagement with HIV/AIDS care in public hospitals in Southwest Ethiopia. Additionally, we aim to explore the psychosocial challenges faced in accessing services during stay-at-home orders.Methods:
A descriptive qualitative study was conducted from 20 May to 3 June 2020, using semi-structured, in-depth interviews. In total, 27 study participants were recruited from purposively selected people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) who had experienced delays, declines, or discontinuation of care after COVID-19 was confirmed in Ethiopia on 13 March 2020. The participants were interviewed over the phone and their responses were audio-recorded. Data were transcribed verbatim, translated, and analyzed using inductive thematic analysis in the Atlas ti.7.1 software package.Results:
The main themes and sub-themes that emerged were psychosocial issues (such as depression, hopelessness, and fear), risk perception (including high risk, susceptibility, and severity), forceful enforcement of stay-at-home orders (such as police beatings, community leaders disgracing, and influence of families and relatives), socioeconomic factors (such as stigma, religion, and transportation costs), misinformation about COVID-19 (such as lockdowns and ART stock-outs), and healthcare factors (such as inadequate health information and long distances to healthcare facilities).Conclusion:
Overall, these findings were similar to the challenges experienced by PLWHA in adhering to the recommended continuum of care. However, there are additional factors due to COVID-19, such as misinformation and the forceful implementation of the stay-at-home-orders, that impede the continuum of care. Therefore, it is important to strengthen information, education, and communication.Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
HIV Infections
/
Continuity of Patient Care
/
Qualitative Research
/
COVID-19
/
Hospitals, Public
Limits:
Adult
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
Country/Region as subject:
Africa
Language:
En
Journal:
Front Public Health
Year:
2024
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Ethiopia
Publication country:
CH
/
SUIZA
/
SUÍÇA
/
SWITZERLAND