Browsing by Author "Nakaweesi, Jane"

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    Cryptococcal Antigen Screening Among Antiretroviral Therapy–Experienced People With HIV With Viral Load Nonsuppression in Rural Uganda
    (Oxford University Press, 2021) Baruch Baluku, Joseph; Mugabe, Pallen; Mwebaza, Shem; Nakaweesi, Jane; Senyimba, Catherine; Opio, Joel Peter; Mukasa, Barbara
    The World Health Organization recommends screening for the cryptococcal antigen (CrAg), a predictor of cryptococcal meningitis, among antiretroviral therapy (ART)–naïve people with HIV (PWH) with CD4 <100 cells/mm3. CrAg positivity among ART-experienced PWH with viral load (VL) nonsuppression is not well established, yet high VLs are associated with cryptococcal meningitis independent of CD4 count. We compared the frequency and positivity yield of CrAg screening among ART-experienced PWH with VL nonsuppression and ART-naïve PWH with CD4 <100 cells/mm3 attending rural public health facilities in Uganda. Methods. We reviewed routinely generated programmatic reports on cryptococcal disease screening from 104 health facilities in 8 rural districts of Uganda from January 2018 to July 2019. A lateral flow assay (IMMY CrAg) was used to screen for cryptococcal disease. PWH were eligible for CrAg screening if they were ART-naïve with CD4 <100 cell/mm3 or ART-experienced with an HIV VL >1000 copies/mL after at least 6 months of ART. We used Pearson’s chi-square test to compare the frequency and yield of CrAg screening. Results. Of 71 860 ART-experienced PWH, 7210 (10.0%) were eligible for CrAg screening. Among 15 417 ART-naïve PWH, 5719 (37.1%) had a CD4 count measurement, of whom 937 (16.4%) were eligible for CrAg screening. The frequency of CrAg screening was 11.5% (830/7210) among eligible ART-experienced PWH compared with 95.1% (891/937) of eligible ART- naïve PWH (P < .001). The CrAg positivity yield was 10.5% among eligible ART-experienced PWH compared with 13.8% among eligible ART-naïve PWH (P = .035). Conclusions. The low frequency and high positivity yield of CrAg screening among ART-experienced PWH with VL nonsuppression suggest a need for VL- directed CrAg screening in this population. Studies are needed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness and impact of CrAg screening and fluconazole prophylaxis on the outcomes of ART-experienced PWH with VL nonsuppression.
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    Trends of notification rates and treatment outcomes of tuberculosis cases with and without HIV co-infection in eight rural districts of Uganda (2015 – 2019)
    (BioMed Central Ltd, 2022-04) Baluku, Joseph Baruch; Nanyonjo, Resty; Ayo, Jolly; Obwalatum, Jehu Eleazer; Nakaweesi, Jane; Senyimba, Catherine; Lukoye, Deus; Lubwama, Joseph; Ward, Jennifer; Mukasa, Barbara
    Abstract Background The End TB Strategy aims to reduce new tuberculosis (TB) cases by 90% and TB-related deaths by 95% between 2015 – 2035. We determined the trend of case notification rates (CNRs) and treatment outcomes of TB cases with and without HIV co-infection in rural Uganda to provide an interim evaluation of progress towards this global target in rural settings. Methods We extracted retrospective programmatic data on notified TB cases and treatment outcomes from 2015 – 2019 for eight districts in rural Uganda from the District Health Information System 2. We estimated CNRs as the number of TB cases per 100,000 population. Treatment success rate (TSR) was calculated as the sum of TB cure and treatment completion for each year. Trends were estimated using the Mann–Kendall test. Results A total of 11,804 TB cases, of which 5,811 (49.2%) were HIV co-infected, were notified. The overall TB CNR increased by 3.7-fold from 37.7 to 141.3 cases per 100,000 population in 2015 and 2019 respectively. The increment was observed among people with HIV (from 204.7 to 730.2 per 100,000, p = 0.028) and HIV-uninfected individuals (from 19.9 to 78.7 per 100,000, p = 0.028). There was a decline in the TSR among HIV-negative TB cases from 82.1% in 2015 to 63.9% in 2019 (p = 0.086). Conversely, there was an increase in the TSR among HIV co-infected TB cases (from 69.9% to 81.9%, p = 0.807). Conclusion The CNR increased among people with and without HIV while the TSR reduced among HIV-negative TB cases. There is need to refocus programs to address barriers to treatment success among HIV-negative TB cases.