Initiation and completion rates of isoniazid preventive therapy among people living with HIV in Far-Western Region of Nepal: a retrospective cohort study

Coverage of Isoniazid Preventive Therapy (IPT) among People Living With HIV (PLHIV) registered at ART centre in a public health facility of Western India

BACKGROUND

NACO implemented an Isoniazid 6-month preventive therapy (IPT) among PLHIV for the prevention of the incidence of tuberculosis in such a vulnerable population. Here, we evaluated the coverage of IPT among PLHIV and the factors associated with the coverage of IPT in Western India.

METHODS

Data from 2017 to 2021 was collected from the ART centre as anonymous numerical data and it was kept confidential.

RESULTS

Records of 1332 PLHIV registered during the study period were included in the study. Out of 1332 registered PLHIV, 759 (56.98%) of them received IPT. The majority of the PLHIV were males (58.03%), within the age group of 25-50 years (77.63%), literate (76.43%), employed (62.76%), and were urban area residents (57.13%). The coverage of IPT was relatively higher in the age group of 25-50 years (59%), literate (58.6%), employed (58.37%), and those living in urban areas (59.6%).

CONCLUSIONS

The study evaluated the IPT coverage of around 57% among PLHIV registered at ART during 2017-2021. However, the coverage dropped to 48.4% in the year 2020 due to the pandemic. Sociodemographic factors like PLHIV in the age group of 25-50 years, their literacy status, and urban residents were found to be significantly associated with better IPT coverage.

Completion of tuberculosis preventive therapy and associated factors among clients on antiretroviral therapy at Debre Berhan town health facilities, North Shoa Zone, Ethiopia

BACKGROUND

Tuberculosis preventive therapy is vital in caring for HIV-positive individuals, as it prevents the progression from latent tuberculosis infection to tuberculosis disease. The aim of the study is to assess the completion of tuberculosis preventive therapy and associated factors among clients receiving antiretroviral therapy in Debre Berhan town, Ethiopia, in 2022.

METHOD

Institutional based cross sectional study was conducted. Random sampling methods were used to select both study participants and health facilities. Both bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed. P-values less than 0.05 were statistically significant.

RESULT

The study found that, 83% of participants were completed tuberculosis preventive therapy. Completed tuberculosis preventive therapy was associated with no adverse drug events, taking first-line ART, and good ART adherence.

CONCLUSION

According to the Ethiopian ART guidelines, the study found a low completion rate of tuberculosis preventive therapy among HIV-positive clients on antiretroviral therapy. Factors like no adverse drug events, first-line antiretroviral regimen, and good adherence were significantly associated with completing tuberculosis preventive therapy.

Isoniazid preventive therapy use among adult people living with HIV in Zimbabwe

We assessed the prevalence of isoniazid preventive therapy (IPT) uptake and explored factors associated with IPT non-uptake among people living with HIV (PLHIV) using nationally representative data from the Zimbabwe Population-based HIV Impact Assessment (ZIMPHIA) 2015-2016. This was a cross-sectional study of 3418 PLHIV ZIMPHIA participants eligible for IPT, aged ≥15 years and in HIV care. Logistic regression modeling was performed to assess factors associated with self-reported IPT uptake. All analyses accounted for multistage survey design. IPT uptake among PLHIV was 12.7% (95% confidence interval (CI): 11.4-14.1). After adjusting for sex, age, rural/urban residence, TB screening at the last clinic visit, and hazardous alcohol use, rural residence was the strongest factor associated with IPT non-uptake (adjusted OR (aOR): 2.39, 95% CI: 1.82-3.12). Isoniazid preventive therapy non-uptake having significant associations with no TB screening at the last HIV care (aOR: 2.07, 95% CI: 1.54-2.78) and with hazardous alcohol use only in urban areas (aOR: 10.74, 95% CI: 3.60-32.0) might suggest suboptimal IPT eligibility screening regardless of residence, but more so in rural areas. Self-reported IPT use among PLHIV in Zimbabwe was low, 2 years after beginning national scale-up. This shows the importance of good TB screening procedures for successful IPT implementation.

Adherence and Associated Factors of Treatment Regimen in Drug-Susceptible Tuberculosis Patients

Background: Adherence to tuberculosis (TB) drugs is one of the key aspects of global TB control, yet there is a lack of epidemiological evidence on the factors influencing adherence to TB drugs. Thus, this study aimed to explore the adherence and factors associated with adherence among TB patients in South Korea. Methods: We conducted a cohort study using a sampled national healthcare database from 2017 to 2018. Our study population included incident TB patients initiating quadruple or triple regimen who were available for follow-up for 180-days. Adherence was evaluated using the proportion of days covered (PDC): 1) adherent group: patients with PDC ≥80%; 2) non-adherent group: patients with PDC <80%. Kaplan-Meier analysis was conducted to calculate the median time-to-discontinuation in the study population. We calculated the adjusted odds ratios (aOR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) to assess factors associated with adherence to TB drugs using logistic regression. Results: Of 987 patients, 558 (56.5%) were adherent and 429 (43.5%) were non-adherent, with the overall mean PDC of 68.87% (standard deviation, 33.37%). The median time-to-discontinuation was 113 days (interquartile range 96-136) in the study population. Patients initiating quadruple regimen were more likely to adhere in comparison to the triple regimen (aOR 4.14; 95% CI 2.78-6.17), while those aged ≥65 years (aOR 0.53; 95% CI 0.35-0.81), with a history of dementia (aOR 0.53; 95% CI 0.34-0.85), and with history of diabetes mellitus (aOR 0.70; 95% CI 0.52-0.96) were less likely to adhere to the drug. Conclusion: Approximately 45% of TB patients were non-adherent to the drug, which is a major concern for the treatment outcome. We call for intensified attention from the authorities and healthcare providers to reinforce patients' adherence to the prescribed TB drugs.

Coverage of isoniazid preventive therapy among people living with HIV; A retrospective cohort study in Tanzania (2012-2016)

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There was low IPT initiation among those who were eligible.

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Female sex, ART, obesity and WHO clinical stage II, enrolment in Njombe region and being in public hospitals were associated with increased IPT initiation.

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Strategies are needed to work on barriers and to sustain enabling factors to improve IPT initiation.

Background

Isoniazid Preventive Therapy (IPT) is a proven public health tool to reduce Tuberculosis (TB) among people living with HIV. However, its implementation in most countries is suboptimal. This retrospective study was conducted to determine the coverage and factors associated with IPT initiation to inform program scale up and improve quality of service in Tanzania and elsewhere.

Methods

Retrospective cohort study design involving HIV clinics in Dar es Salaam, Iringa and Njombe regions from January 2012 to December 2016.

Results

A total of 171,743 PLHIV were in the cohort from 2012 to 2016. Of these, 166,709 were involved in the analysis. Of those analyzed, 23,970 (14.38%) were ever initiated on IPT. Female sex (aOR = 1.72, 95% CI: 1.13, P < 0.001), obesity (aOR = 1.29, 95% CI:1.20−1.39, P < 0.001), WHO clinical stage II (aOR = 1.48, 95% CI: 1.42−1.55, P < 0.001), enrolment in hospitals (aOR = 1.98, 95% CI: 1.89−2.06, P < 0.001), enrolment in Njombe region (aOR = 1.25: 95% CI: 1.18−1.33, P < 0.001) and enrolment in public health facilities (aOR = 1.93: 95% CI: 1.82−2.04, P < 0.001) were associated with increased IPT uptake. Being on ART (aOR = 0.67, 95% CI: 0.65−0.70, P < 0.001) and severe nutritional status (aOR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.60−0.88, P < 0.001) were associated with decreased IPT initiation.

Conclusions

Our study documented low IPT initiation in the study area as well as documented factors which enable IPT initiation and those which impair IPT initiation. Strategies are needed to work on barriers and sustain enabling factors to improve IPT coverage.

Determinants of isoniazid preventive therapy completion among people living with HIV attending care and treatment clinics from 2013 to 2017 in Dar es Salaam Region, Tanzania. A cross-sectional analytical study

BACKGROUND

Tuberculosis (TB) disease is a common opportunistic infection among people living with HIV (PLHIV). WHO recommends at least 6 months of isoniazid Preventive Therapy (IPT) to reduce the risk of active TB. It is important to monitor the six-month IPT completion since a suboptimal dose may not protect PLHIV from TB infection. This study determined the six-month IPT completion and factors associated with six-month IPT completion among PLHIV aged 15 years or more in Dar es Salaam region, Tanzania.

METHODS

Secondary analysis of routine data from PLHIV attending 58 care and treatment clinics in Dar es Salaam region was used. PLHIV, aged 15 years and above, who screened negative for TB symptoms and initiated IPT from January, 2013 to June, 2017 were recruited. Modified Poisson regression with robust standard errors was used to estimate prevalence ratios (PR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for factors associated with IPT completion. Multilevel analysis was used to account for health facility random effects in order to estimate adjusted PR (APR) for factors associated with IPT six-month completion.

RESULTS

A total of 29,382 PLHIV were initiated IPT, with 21,808 (74%) female. Overall 17,092 (58%) six-month IPT completion, increasing from 42% (773/1857) in year 2013 to 76% (2929/3856) in 2017. Multilevel multivariable model accounting for health facilities as clusters, showed PLHIV who were not on ART had 46% lower IPT completion compared to those were on ART (APR: 0.54: 95%CI: 0.45-0.64). There was 37% lower IPT completion among PLHIV who transferred from another clinic (APR: 0.63: 95% CI (0.54-0.74) compared to those who did not transfer. PLHIV aged 25-34 years had a 6% lower prevalence of IPT completion as compared to those aged 15 to 24 years (APR:0.94 95%CI:0.89-0.98).

CONCLUSION

The IPT completion rate in PLHIV increased over time, but there was lower IPT completion in PLHIV who transferred from other clinics, who were aged 25 to 34 years and those not on ART. Interventions to support IPT in these groups are urgently needed.

To start or to complete? - Challenges in implementing tuberculosis preventive therapy among people living with HIV: a mixed-methods study from Karnataka, India

Background: Isoniazid preventive therapy (IPT) has been shown to reduce the risk of tuberculosis (TB) among people living with HIV (PLHIV). In 2017, India began a nationwide roll-out of IPT, but there is a lack of evidence on the implementation and the challenges.Objectives: Among PLHIV newly initiated on antiretroviral therapy (ART) from January 2017 to June 2018, to: (i) assess the proportion who started and completed IPT and (ii) explore reasons for non-initiation and non-completion from health-care providers' and patients' perspectives.Methods: An explanatory mixed-methods study was conducted in two selected districts of Karnataka, South India. A quantitative phase (cohort analysis of routinely collected program data) was followed by a qualitative phase involving thematic analysis of in-depth interviews with providers (n = 22) and patients (n = 8).Results: Of the 4020 included PLHIV, 3780 (94%) were eligible for IPT, of whom, 1496 (40%, 95% CI: 38%-41%) were initiated on IPT. Among those initiated, 423 (28.3%) were still on IPT at the time of analysis. Among 1073 patients with declared IPT outcomes 870 (81%, 95% CI: 79%-83%) had completed the six-month course of IPT. The main reason for IPT non-initiation and non-completion was frequent drug stock-outs. This required health-care providers to restrict IPT initiation in selected patient subgroups and earmark six-monthly courses for each patient to ensure that, once started, treatment was not interrupted. The other reasons for non-completion were adverse drug effects and loss to follow-up.Conclusion: The combined picture of 'low IPT initiation and high completion' seen in our study mirrors findings from other countries. Drug stock-out was the key challenge, which obliged health-care providers to prioritize 'IPT completion' over 'IPT initiation'. There is an urgent need to improve the procurement and supply chain management of isoniazid.