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Mnzava D, Okuma J, Ndege R, Kimera N, Ntamatungiro A, Nyuri A, Byakuzana T, Abilahi F, Mayeka P, Temba E, Fanuel T, Glass TR, Klimkait T, Vanobberghen F, Weisser M. Decentralization of viral load testing to improve HIV care and treatment cascade in rural Tanzania: observational study from the Kilombero and Ulanga Antiretroviral Cohort. BMC Infect Dis 2023; 23:222. [PMID: 37029356 PMCID: PMC10081287 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-023-08155-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/09/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Monitoring HIV viral load (HVL) in people living with HIV (PLHIV) on antiretroviral therapy (ART) is recommended by the World Health Organization. Implementation of HVL testing programs have been affected by logistic and organizational challenges. Here we describe the HVL monitoring cascade in a rural setting in Tanzania and compare turnaround times (TAT) between an on-site and a referral laboratory. METHODS In a nested study of the prospective Kilombero and Ulanga Antiretroviral Cohort (KIULARCO) we included PLHIV aged ≥ 15 years, on ART for ≥ 6 months after implementation of routine HVL monitoring in 2017. We assessed proportions of PLHIV with a blood sample taken for HVL, whose results came back, and who were virally suppressed (HVL < 1000 copies/mL) or unsuppressed (HVL ≥ 1000 copies/mL). We described the proportion of PLHIV with unsuppressed HVL and adequate measures taken as per national guidelines and outcomes among those with low-level viremia (LLV; 100-999 copies/mL). We compare TAT between on-site and referral laboratories by Wilcoxon rank sum tests. RESULTS From 2017 to 2020, among 4,454 PLHIV, 4,238 (95%) had a blood sample taken and 4,177 (99%) of those had a result. Of those, 3,683 (88%) were virally suppressed. In the 494 (12%) unsuppressed PLHIV, 425 (86%) had a follow-up HVL (102 (24%) within 4 months and 158 (37%) had virologic failure. Of these, 103 (65%) were already on second-line ART and 32/55 (58%) switched from first- to second-line ART after a median of 7.7 months (IQR 4.7-12.7). In the 371 (9%) PLHIV with LLV, 327 (88%) had a follow-up HVL. Of these, 267 (82%) resuppressed to < 100 copies/ml, 41 (13%) had persistent LLV and 19 (6%) had unsuppressed HVL. The median TAT for return of HVL results was 21 days (IQR 13-39) at the on-site versus 59 days (IQR 27-99) at the referral laboratory (p < 0.001) with PLHIV receiving the HVL results after a median of 91 days (IQR 36-94; similar for both laboratories). CONCLUSION Robust HVL monitoring is achievable in remote resource-limited settings. More focus is needed on care models for PLHIV with high viral loads to timely address results from routine HVL monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorcas Mnzava
- Ifakara Health Institute, Ifakara Branch, Ifakara, United Republic of Tanzania
| | - James Okuma
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Robert Ndege
- Ifakara Health Institute, Ifakara Branch, Ifakara, United Republic of Tanzania
- St. Francis Referral Hospital, Ifakara, United Republic of Tanzania
| | - Namvua Kimera
- Ifakara Health Institute, Ifakara Branch, Ifakara, United Republic of Tanzania
| | - Alex Ntamatungiro
- Ifakara Health Institute, Ifakara Branch, Ifakara, United Republic of Tanzania
| | - Amina Nyuri
- Ifakara Health Institute, Ifakara Branch, Ifakara, United Republic of Tanzania
| | | | - Faraji Abilahi
- Ifakara Health Institute, Ifakara Branch, Ifakara, United Republic of Tanzania
| | - Paul Mayeka
- USAID Boresha Afya, Morogoro, United Republic of Tanzania
| | - Emmy Temba
- USAID Boresha Afya, Morogoro, United Republic of Tanzania
| | - Teddy Fanuel
- USAID Boresha Afya, Morogoro, United Republic of Tanzania
| | - Tracy Renée Glass
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Klimkait
- Department of Biomedicine, Molecular Virology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Fiona Vanobberghen
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Maja Weisser
- Ifakara Health Institute, Ifakara Branch, Ifakara, United Republic of Tanzania.
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland.
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Basel, CH, Basel, Switzerland.
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