Viral load Suppression and Associated Factors among HIV Patients on Antiretroviral Treatment in Bulambuli District, Eastern Uganda: A Retrospective Cohort Study
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Date
2020
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Infectious Diseases: Research and Treatment
Abstract
HIV viral load suppression (VLS) is the most important indicator of successful antiretroviral therapy. In 2016, Bulambuli District
started monitoring HIV patients on ART using viral load tests in an effort to meet the third 90 of the UNAIDS 90-90-90 strategy which is
VLS. The objective of this study was to determine the progress in Bulambuli District towards achievement of VLS among HIV infected patients
on ART and associated factors that affect this programme.
Meth ods: A retrospective cohort study design was used. One thousand, one hundred and one medical records of HIV infected patients
on ART who attended HIV clinic at Muyembe Health Centre IV from June 2016 to April 2018 were reviewed. A data abstraction tool was used
for data collection. Chi Square was used to determine factors associated with VLS and logistic regression was used to determine the magnitude
by which the ART and clinical factors influence VLS. Data were summarized using descriptive statistics for categorical variables and
by computing proportions, means and standard deviation for continuous variables.
Resu lts : Of the patients (n = 944, 85.7%) had attained VLS. Adjusting for known confounders, only adherence to ART was a significant
predictor of VLS. Individuals with fair adherence (80%-95%) had 2.667 times the odds of VLS, CI = 1.122-9.370, P-value of <.002 compared
to individuals with good (>95%) adherence which was used as the reference while those with poor (<80%) adherence had 4.553 times the
odds of attaining VLS, CI = 1.31-13.930, P-value of <.001 compared to individuals with good adherence.
Conclusi on: These findings suggest that Bulambuli District, at 85.7% VLS is on track to attaining the third 90 of the 90, 90, 90 global targets
by 2020. It further reveals that adherence is the only significant predictor of VLS in the District.
Description
Keywords
Viral load suppression, HIV patients, Antiretroviral treatment, UNAIDS 90-90-90 strategy, Adherence
Citation
Wakooko, P., Gavamukulya, Y., & Wandabwa, J. N. (2020). Viral load suppression and associated factors among HIV patients on antiretroviral treatment in Bulambuli district, eastern Uganda: a retrospective cohort study. Infectious Diseases: Research and Treatment, 13, 1178633720970632. https://doi.org/10.1177/117863372097063