Optimizing linkage to care and initiation and retention on treatment of adolescents with newly diagnosed HIV infection

The Role of Dimensions of Social Support in the Relationship Between Stigma and Mental Health: A Moderation Analysis

HIV stigma remains a barrier to good health and understanding how social support may reduce the negative impact of stigma on health may help with designing stigma interventions. This study aims to understand how different types of social support may moderate or change the nature of the relationship between stigma and mental health. We recruited 327 participants to complete the People Living with HIV Stigma Index at baseline (t1) between August 2018 and September 2019 and at follow-up (t2) between February 2021 and October 2021. Separate moderation models were created with different types of social support (emotional/informational, tangible, affectionate, positive social interaction) as moderators, baseline stigma (internalized, enacted, anticipated) as the antecedent, and mental health (t2) as the outcome. Emotional/informational support was a significant moderator for the relationship between enacted (b = -2.12, 95% CI: -3.73, -0.51), internalized (b = -1.72, 95% CI: -3.24, -0.20), and anticipated (b = -2.59, 95% CI: -4.59, -0.60) stigma at t1 and mental health at t2. Tangible support was a significant moderator for internalized stigma (b = -1.54, 95% CI: -2.74, -0.35). Lastly, positive social interaction was a significant moderator for internalized (b = -1.38, 95% CI: -2.71, -0.04) and anticipated stigma (b = -2.14, 95% CI: -3.93, -0.36). In general, the relationship between social support and better mental health was stronger for participants with low stigma. Intervention strategies aimed at both stigma reduction and boosting social supports with different functions may be important for improving the mental health of people living with HIV.

Identifying Best Practices for Increasing HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Use and Persistence in the United States: A Systematic Review

A qualitative systematic review was conducted to evaluate pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) interventions, describe characteristics of best practices for increasing PrEP use and persistence, and explore research gaps based on current PrEP interventions. We searched CDC's Prevention Research Synthesis (PRS) Project's cumulative HIV database (includes CINAHL, EMBASE, Global Health, MEDLINE, PsycInfo, and Sociological Abstracts) to identify PrEP intervention studies conducted in the U.S., published between 2000 and 2022 (last searched January 2023). Eligibility criteria include studies that evaluated PrEP interventions for persons testing negative for HIV infection, or for healthcare providers who prescribed PrEP; included comparisons between groups or pre/post; and reported at least one relevant PrEP outcome. Each eligible intervention was evaluated on the quality of study design, implementation, analysis, and strength of evidence (PROSPERO registration number: CRD42021256460). Of the 26 eligible interventions, the majority were focused on men who have sex with men (n = 18) and reported PrEP adherence outcomes (n = 12). Nine interventions met the criteria for Best Practices (i.e., evidence-based interventions, evidence-informed interventions). Five were digital health interventions while two implemented individual counseling, one offered motivational interviewing, and one provided integrated medical care with a PrEP peer navigator. Longer intervention periods may provide more time for intervention exposure to facilitate behavioral change, and engaging the community when developing, designing and implementing interventions may be key for effectiveness. For digital health interventions, two-way messaging may help participants feel supported. Research gaps included a lack of Best Practices for several populations (e.g., Black persons, Hispanic/Latino persons, persons who inject drugs, and women of color) and evidence for various intervention strategies (e.g., interventions for promoting provider's PrEP prescription behavior, peer support). These findings call for more collaborative work with communities to develop interventions that work and implement and disseminate Best Practices for increasing PrEP use and persistence in communities.

Person-centred interventions to improve patient-provider relationships for HIV services in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review

INTRODUCTION

Person-centred care (PCC) has been recognized as a critical element in delivering quality and responsive health services. The patient-provider relationship, conceptualized at the core of PCC in multiple models, remains largely unexamined in HIV care. We conducted a systematic review to better understand the types of PCC interventions implemented to improve patient-provider interactions and how these interventions have improved HIV care continuum outcomes and person-reported outcomes (PROs) among people living with HIV in low- and middle-income countries.

METHODS

We searched databases, conference proceedings and conducted manual targeted searches to identify randomized trials and observational studies published up to January 2023. The PCC search terms were guided by the Integrative Model of Patient-Centeredness by Scholl. We included person-centred interventions aiming to enhance the patient-provider interactions. We included HIV care continuum outcomes and PROs.

RESULTS

We included 28 unique studies: 18 (64.3%) were quantitative, eight (28.6.%) were mixed methods and two (7.1%) were qualitative. Within PCC patient-provider interventions, we inductively identified five categories of PCC interventions: (1) providing friendly and welcoming services; (2) patient empowerment and improved communication skills (e.g. supporting patient-led skills such as health literacy and approaches when communicating with a provider); (3) improved individualized counselling and patient-centred communication (e.g. supporting provider skills such as training on motivational interviewing); (4) audit and feedback; and (5) provider sensitisation to patient experiences and identities. Among the included studies with a comparison arm and effect size reported, 62.5% reported a significant positive effect of the intervention on at least one HIV care continuum outcome, and 100% reported a positive effect of the intervention on at least one of the included PROs.

DISCUSSION

Among published HIV PCC interventions, there is heterogeneity in the components of PCC addressed, the actors involved and the expected outcomes. While results are also heterogeneous across clinical and PROs, there is more evidence for significant improvement in PROs. Further research is necessary to better understand the clinical implications of PCC, with fewer studies measuring linkage or long-term retention or viral suppression.

CONCLUSIONS

Improved understanding of PCC domains, mechanisms and consistency of measurement will advance PCC research and implementation.

Understanding effective post-test linkage strategies for HIV prevention and care: a scoping review

INTRODUCTION

Following HIV testing services (HTS), the World Health Organization recommends prompt linkage to prevention and treatment. Scale-up of effective linkage strategies is essential to achieving the global 95-95-95 goals for maintaining low HIV incidence by 2030 and reducing HIV-related morbidity and mortality. Whereas linkage to care including same-day antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation for all people with HIV is now routinely implemented in testing programmes, linkage to HIV prevention interventions including behavioural or biomedical strategies, for HIV-negative individuals remains sub-optimal. This review aims to evaluate effective post-HTS linkage strategies for HIV overall, and highlight gaps specifically in linkage to prevention.

METHODS

Using the five-step Arksey and O'Malley framework, we conducted a scoping review searching existing published and grey literature. We searched PubMed, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, Web of Science and EMBASE databases for English-language studies published between 1 January 2010 and 30 November 2023. Linkage interventions included as streamlined interventions-involving same-day HIV testing, ART initiation and point-of-care CD4 cell count/viral load, case management-involving linkage coordinators developing personalized HIV care and risk reduction plans, incentives-financial and non-financial, partner services-including contact tracing, virtual-like social media, quality improvement-like use of score cards, and peer-based interventions. Outcomes of interest were linkage to any form of HIV prevention and/or care including ART initiation.

RESULTS

Of 2358 articles screened, 66 research studies met the inclusion criteria. Only nine linkage to prevention studies were identified (n = 9/66, 14%)-involving pre-exposure prophylaxis, voluntary medical male circumcision, sexually transmitted infection and cervical cancer screening. Linkage to care studies (n = 57/66, 86%) focused on streamlined interventions in the general population and on case management among key populations.

DISCUSSION

Despite a wide range of HIV prevention interventions available, there was a dearth of literature on HIV prevention programmes and on the use of messaging on treatment as prevention strategy. Linkage to care studies were comparatively numerous except those evaluating virtual interventions, incentives and quality improvement.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings give insights into linkage strategies but more understanding of how to provide these effectively for maximum prevention impact is needed.

Retention and Viral Suppression Among Adolescents Newly Initiating Antiretroviral Therapy in Adult HIV Care in Lima, Peru: A Retrospective Cohort Study

PURPOSE

Published data on outcomes among adolescents newly initiating antiretroviral treatment in the Latin American context are sparse. We estimated the frequency of sustained retention with viral load suppression (i.e., successful transition) and identified predictors of successful transition into adult care among youth (aged 14-21 years) with recently acquired HIV in Lima, Peru.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study was conducted among 184 adolescents and young adults who initiated antiretroviral therapy in an adult public sector HIV clinic between June 2014 and June 2019. Sustained retention (no loss-to-follow-up or death) with viral suppression was calculated for the first 12 and 24 months following treatment initiation. We conducted regression analyses to assess factors associated with successful transition to adult HIV care, including gender, age, occupation, nationality, pregnancy, same-sex sexual behavior, presence of treatment supporter, number of living parents, and social risk factors that may adversely influence health (e.g., lack of social support, economic deprivation).

RESULTS

Patients were predominantly male (n = 167, 90.8%). Median age was 19 years (interquartile range: 18-21). Frequency of sustained retention with viral load suppression was 42.4% (78/184) and 35.3% (30/85) at 12 and 24 months following treatment initiation. In multivariable analyses, working and/or studying was inversely associated with successful transition into adult care at 12 months; number of known living parents (relative risk: 2.20; 95% confidence interval: 1.12, 4.34) and absence of social risk factors (relative risk: 1.68; 95% confidence interval: 0.91, 3.11) were positively associated with successful transition at 24 months.

DISCUSSION

Sustained retention in HIV care was uncommon. Parental support and interventions targeting social risk factors may contribute to successful transition into adult HIV care in this group.

Experiences of adolescents and youth with HIV testing and linkage to care through the Red Carpet Program (RCP) in Kenya

Adolescents and youth living with HIV (AYLHIV) experience worse health outcomes compared to adults. We aimed to understand the experiences of AYLHIV in care in the youth-focused Red-Carpet program in Kenya to assess the quality of service provision and identify programmatic areas for optimization. We conducted focus group discussions among 39 AYLHIV (15-24 years) and structured analysis into four thematic areas. Within the HIV testing theme, participants cited fear of positive results, confidentiality and stigma concerns, and suggested engaging the community and youth in HIV testing opportunities. Within the HIV treatment adherence theme, participants cited forgetfulness, stigma, adverse side effects, lack of family support, and treatment illiteracy as barriers to adherence. Most participants reported positive experiences with healthcare providers and peer support. In terms of the HIV status disclosure theme, AYLHIV cited concerns about their future capacity to conceive children and start families and discussed challenges with understanding HIV health implications and sharing their status with friends and partners. Youth voices informing service implementation are essential in strengthening our capacity to optimize the support for AYLHIV within the community, at schools and healthcare facilities.

A Systematic Review of Peer Support Interventions for Adolescents Living with HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa

Despite widespread availability of life-saving antiretroviral therapy (ART) in sub-Saharan Africa, AIDS remains one of the leading causes of death among adolescents living with HIV (ALHIV) in sub-Saharan Africa. The purpose of this article was to review the state of the science regarding interventions to improve ART adherence and/or HIV care retention among ALHIV throughout sub-Saharan Africa. The primary aim of this review was to describe the impact of peer support interventions in improving treatment outcomes (i.e., ART adherence and retention in HIV care) among ALHIV in sub-Saharan Africa. The secondary aim of this review was to determine whether these interventions may be efficacious at improving mental health outcomes. We identified 27 articles that met the eligibility criteria for our review, and categorized each article based on the type of peer support provided to ALHIV-individualized peer support, group-based support, and individualized plus group-based support. Results regarding the efficacy of these interventions are mixed and most of the studies included were deemed moderate in methodological quality. Although studies evaluating group-based peer support interventions were the most common, most of these studies were not associated with retention, adherence, or mental health outcomes. More robust, fully powered studies are needed to strengthen our knowledge base regarding peer support for ALHIV.

"Project YES! has given me a task to reach undetectable": Qualitative findings from a peer mentoring program for youth living with HIV in Zambia

The Project YES! clinic-based peer mentoring program was a randomized controlled trial (RCT) conducted among 276 youth from four HIV clinics to test the impact of the program on promoting HIV self-management and reducing internalized stigma among youth living with HIV (ages 15-24 years) in Ndola, Zambia. We conducted a qualitative sub-study involving in-depth interviews with 40 intervention youth participants (21 female, 19 male) to explore their experiences with Project YES! which included: an orientation meeting led by a healthcare provider, monthly individual and group counseling sessions over six months, and three optional caregiver group sessions. Using baseline RCT data, we used maximum variation sampling to purposively select youth by sex, age, change in virologic results between baseline and midline, and study clinic. A four-person team conducted thematic coding. Youth described their increased motivation to take their HIV care seriously due to Project YES!, citing examples of improvements in ART adherence and for some, virologic results. Many cited changes in behavior in the context of greater feelings of self-worth and acceptance of their HIV status, resulting in less shame and fear associated with living with HIV. Youth also attributed Project YES! with reducing their sense of isolation and described Project YES! youth peer mentors and peers as their community and "family." Findings highlight that self-worth and personal connections play a critical role in improving youths' HIV outcomes. Peer-led programs can help foster these gains through a combination of individual and group counseling sessions. Greater attention to the context in which youth manage their HIV, beyond medication intake, is needed to reach global HIV targets.

Understanding the effects of universal test and treat on longitudinal HIV care outcomes among South African youth: a retrospective cohort study

INTRODUCTION

Little is known about the effects of universal test and treat (UTT) policies on HIV care outcomes among youth living with HIV (YLHIV). Moreover, there is a paucity of information regarding when YLHIV are most susceptible to disengagement from care under the newest treatment guidelines. The longitudinal HIV care continuum is an underutilized tool that can provide a holistic understanding of population-level HIV care trajectories and be used to compare treatment outcomes across groups. We aimed to explore effects of the UTT policy on longitudinal outcomes among South African YLHIV and identify temporally precise opportunities for re-engaging this priority population in the UTT era.

METHODS

Using medical record data, we conducted a retrospective cohort study among youth aged 18-24 diagnosed with HIV from August 2015-December 2018 in nine health care facilities in South Africa. We used Fine and Gray sub-distribution proportional hazards models to characterize longitudinal care continuum outcomes in the population overall and stratified by treatment era of diagnosis. We estimated the proportion of individuals in each stage of the continuum over time and the restricted mean time spent in each stage in the first year following diagnosis. Sub-group estimates were compared using differences.

RESULTS

A total of 420 YLHIV were included. By day 365 following diagnosis, just 23% of individuals had no 90-or-more-day lapse in care and were virally suppressed. Those diagnosed in the UTT era spent less time as ART-naïve (mean difference=-19.3 days; 95% CI: -27.7, -10.9) and more time virally suppressed (mean difference = 17.7; 95% CI: 1.0, 34.4) compared to those diagnosed pre-UTT. Most individuals who were diagnosed in the UTT era and experienced a 90-or-more-day lapse in care disengaged between diagnosis and linkage to care or ART initiation and viral suppression.

CONCLUSIONS

Implementation of UTT yielded modest improvements in time spent on ART and virally suppressed among South African YLHIV- however, meeting UNAIDS' 95-95-95 targets remains a challenge. Retention in care and re-engagement interventions that can be implemented between diagnosis and linkage to care and between ART initiation and viral suppression (e.g., longitudinal counseling) may be particularly important to improving care outcomes among South African YLHIV in the UTT era.

Improving Outcomes for Adolescents and Young Adults Living With HIV

Adolescents and young adults living with HIV (AYLHIV), ages 10-24, experience inferior outcomes across the HIV care continuum compared to adults. Inferior outcomes are caused by clinical systems that are not tailored to AYLHIV, structural barriers that prevent equitable care, and lack of engagement of AYLHIV by care teams. This position paper outlines three recommendations to bridge these gaps in care outcomes. The first advocates for offering differentiated and integrated health services. The second addresses structural changes that can improve outcomes for AYLHIV. The third calls for actively including input from AYLHIV about the care designed for them.

Development of "Yima Nkqo," a community-based, peer group intervention to support treatment initiation for young adults with HIV in South Africa

AIMS

Half of young adults diagnosed with HIV in South Africa start antiretroviral therapy (ART). We developed and field tested a facilitator-guided peer support group called Yima Nkqo ("Standing Tall" in isiXhosa) to promote treatment initiation for young adults newly diagnosed with HIV in communities around Cape Town.

METHODS

Following an adapted version of the UK Medical Research Council's framework for developing complex interventions, we 1) identified evidence on previous interventions to improve ART uptake in sub-Saharan Africa; 2) collected and analyzed qualitative data on the acceptability of our proposed intervention; 3) proposed a theoretical understanding of the process of behavior change; and 4) developed an intervention manual and feedback tools. During field-testing, participant feedback on intervention acceptability, and team feedback on consistency of content delivery and facilitation quality, were analyzed using an iterative, rapid-feedback evaluation approach. In-depth written and verbal summaries were shared in weekly team meetings. Team members interpreted feedback, identified areas for improvement, and proposed suggestions for intervention modifications.

RESULTS

Based on our formative research, we developed three, 90-minute sessions with content including HIV and ART education, reflection on personal resources and strengths, practice disclosing one's status, strategies to overcome stressors, and goal setting to start treatment. A lay facilitator was trained to deliver intervention content. Two field testing groups (five and four participants, respectively) completed the intervention. Participants highlighted that strengths of Yima Nkqo included peer support, motivation, and education about HIV and ART. Team feedback to the facilitator ensured optimal consistency of intervention content delivery.

CONCLUSIONS

Iteratively developed in collaboration with youth and healthcare providers, Yima Nkqo is a promising new intervention to improve treatment uptake among young adults with HIV in South Africa. The next phase will be a pilot randomized controlled trial of Yima Nkqo (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04568460).

The Status of Adolescent Testing and Treatment in PEPFAR-Supported Programs, October 2017 to September 2020

BACKGROUND

Adolescents have poorer outcomes across the HIV cascade compared with adults. We aimed to assess progress in HIV case finding, antiretroviral treatment (ART), viral load coverage (VLC), and viral load suppression (VLS) among adolescents enrolled in the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)-supported programs over a 3-year period that included the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

We analyzed PEPFAR program data in 28 countries/regions for adolescents aged 10-19 years between year 1 (October 2017to September 2018), year 2 (October 2018 to September 2019), and year 3 (October 2019 to September 2020). We calculated the number and percent change for HIV tests, HIV-positive tests, and total number on ART. Calculated indicators included positivity, percent of positives newly initiated on ART (ART linkage), VLC (percent of ART patients on ART for ≥6 months with a documented viral load result within the past 12 months), and VLS (percent of viral load tests with <1000 copies/mL).

RESULTS

Between years 1 and 3, the number of HIV tests conducted decreased by 44.2%, with a 29.1% decrease in the number of positive tests. Positivity increased from 1.3%-1.6%. The number of adolescents receiving ART increased by 10.4%. In addition, ART linkage increased (77.8%-86.7%) as did VLC (69.4%-79.4%) and VLS (72.8%-81.5%).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings demonstrate PEPFAR's success in increasing the adolescent treatment cohort. We identified ongoing gaps in adolescent case finding, linkage, VLC, and VLS that could be addressed with a strategic mix of testing strategies, optimal ART regimens, and adolescent-focused service delivery models.

Growing Up with HIV: Experiences of Transition from Adolescence to Adulthood at Selected Primary Health Facilities in Limpopo Province, South Africa

BACKGROUND

Many children who contracted Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) through vertical transmission are now in their adolescent and early adult years. The aim was to explore the experiences of adolescents living with HIV (ALWHIV) during the transition from childhood to adulthood.

METHODS AND MATERIAL

The study was conducted at selected primary healthcare facilities in the Mopani and Vhembe districts in July 2021. A qualitative research approach that included contextual, descriptive, and exploratory designs was used. The population comprised 27 ALWHIV who were purposively sampled and enrolled for ART care. Data were collected using in-depth interviews, and the question was "How is it for you as you live with a virus and transit from adolescent to adulthood". The open coding approach was used to analyse the data. Measures to ensure trustworthiness articulated in Lincoln and Guba's criteria and ethical considerations were adhered to.

FINDINGS

The findings revealed four themes: poor understanding of the disease condition, improved physical health when adhering to ARV treatments, challenges related to sexual maturity and intimate relationships, and parents not disclosing their children's HIV status.

CONCLUSION

Parents' delayed and non-disclosure of adolescents' positive HIV status led to a lack of awareness about the course of the disease, non-adherence to ART, and unsafe sex practices that could increase the risk of HIV transmission and re-infection. To address these multiple obstacles associated with ALWHIV, a comprehensive, multi-sectoral approach that is teenager-friendly should be undertaken.

Impact of short message service and peer navigation on linkage to care and antiretroviral therapy initiation in South Africa

OBJECTIVE

We examine the efficacy of short message service (SMS) and SMS with peer navigation (SMS + PN) in improving linkage to HIV care and initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART).

DESIGN

I-Care was a cluster randomized trial conducted in primary care facilities in North West Province, South Africa. The primary study outcome was retention in HIV care; this analysis includes secondary outcomes: linkage to care and ART initiation.

METHODS

Eighteen primary care clinics were randomized to automated SMS ( n  = 7), automated and tailored SMS + PN ( n  = 7), or standard of care (SOC; n  = 4). Recently HIV diagnosed adults ( n  = 752) were recruited from October 2014 to April 2015. Those not previously linked to care ( n  = 352) contributed data to this analysis. Data extracted from clinical records were used to assess the days that elapsed between diagnosis and linkage to care and ART initiation. Cox proportional hazards models and generalized estimating equations were employed to compare outcomes between trial arms, overall and stratified by sex and pregnancy status.

RESULTS

Overall, SMS ( n  = 132) and SMS + PN ( n  = 133) participants linked at 1.28 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01-1.61] and 1.60 (95% CI: 1.29-1.99) times the rate of SOC participants ( n  = 87), respectively. SMS + PN significantly improved time to ART initiation among non-pregnant women (hazards ratio: 1.68; 95% CI: 1.25-2.25) and men (hazards ratio: 1.83; 95% CI: 1.03-3.26) as compared with SOC.

CONCLUSION

Results suggest SMS and peer navigation services significantly reduce time to linkage to HIV care in sub-Saharan Africa and that SMS + PN reduced time to ART initiation among men and non-pregnant women. Both should be considered candidates for integration into national programs.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

NCT02417233, registered 12 December 2014; closed to accrual 17 April 2015.

Considerations to Improve Pediatric HIV Testing and Close the Treatment Gap in 16 African Countries

BACKGROUND

In 2019, South Africa, Nigeria, Tanzania, Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Mozambique, Zambia, Angola, Cameroon, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Ethiopia, Malawi, Kenya, South Sudan and Côte d'Ivoire accounted for 80% of children living with HIV (CLHIV) not receiving HIV treatment. This manuscript describes pediatric HIV testing to inform case-finding strategies.

METHODS

We analyzed US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief monitoring, evaluation, and reporting data (October 1, 2018 to September 30, 2019) for these 16 countries. Number of HIV tests and positive results were reported by age band, country, treatment coverage and testing modality. The number needed to test (NNT) to identify 1 new CLHIV 1-14 years was measured by testing modality and country. The pediatric testing gap was estimated by multiplying the estimated number of CLHIV unaware of their status by NNT per country.

RESULTS

Among children, 6,961,225 HIV tests were conducted, and 101,762 CLHIV were identified (NNT 68), meeting 17.6% of the pediatric testing need. Index testing accounted for 13.0% of HIV tests (29.7% of positive results, NNT 30), provider-initiated testing and counseling 65.9% of tests (43.6% of positives, NNT 103), and universal testing at sick entry points 5.3% of tests (6.5% of positives, NNT 58).

CONCLUSIONS

As countries near HIV epidemic control for adults, the need to increase pediatric testing continues. Each testing modality - PITC, universal testing at sick entry points, and index testing - offers unique benefits. These results illustrate the comparative advantages of including a strategic mix of testing modalities in national programs to increase pediatric HIV case finding.

A Multilevel Integrated Intervention to Reduce the Impact of HIV Stigma on HIV Treatment Outcomes Among Adolescents Living With HIV in Uganda: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

HIV stigma remains a formidable barrier to HIV treatment adherence among school-attending adolescents living with HIV, owing to high levels of HIV stigma within schools, rigid school structures and routines, lack of adherence support, and food insecurity. Thus, this protocol paper presents an evidence-informed multilevel intervention that will simultaneously address family- and school-related barriers to HIV treatment adherence and care engagement among adolescents living with HIV attending boarding schools in Uganda.

OBJECTIVE

The proposed intervention-Multilevel Suubi (MSuubi)-has the following objectives: examine the impact of M-Suubi on HIV viral suppression (primary outcome) and adherence to HIV treatment, including keeping appointments, pharmacy refills, pill counts, and retention in care; examine the effect of M-Suubi on HIV stigma (internalized, anticipated, and enacted), with secondary analyses to explore hypothesized mechanisms of change (eg, depression) and intervention mediation; assess the cost and cost-effectiveness of each intervention condition; and qualitatively examine participants' experiences with HIV stigma, HIV treatment adherence, and intervention and educators' attitudes toward adolescents living with HIV and experiences with group-based HIV stigma reduction for educators, and program or policy implementation after training.

METHODS

MSuubi is a 5-year multilevel mixed methods randomized controlled trial targeting adolescents living with HIV aged 10 to 17 years enrolled in a primary or secondary school with a boarding section. This longitudinal study will use a 3-arm cluster randomized design across 42 HIV clinics in southwestern Uganda. Participants will be randomized at the clinic level to 1 of the 3 study conditions (n=14 schools; n=280 students per study arm). These include the bolstered usual care (consisting of the literature on antiretroviral therapy adherence promotion and stigma reduction), multiple family groups for HIV stigma reduction plus family economic empowerment (MFG-HIVSR plus FEE), and Group-based HIV stigma reduction for educators (GED-HIVSR). Adolescents randomized to the GED-HIVSR treatment arm will also receive the MFG-HIVSR plus FEE treatment. MSuubi will be provided for 20 months, with assessments at baseline and 12, 24, and 36 months.

RESULTS

This study was funded in September 2021. Participant screening and recruitment began in April 2022, with 158 dyads enrolled as of May 2022. Dissemination of the main study findings is anticipated in 2025.

CONCLUSIONS

MSuubi will assess the effects of a combined intervention (family-based economic empowerment, financial literacy education, and school-based HIV stigma) on HIV stigma among adolescents living with HIV in Uganda. The results will expand our understanding of effective intervention strategies for reducing stigma among HIV-infected and noninfected populations in Uganda and improving HIV treatment outcomes among adolescents living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05307250; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05307250.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)

PRR1-10.2196/40101.

Systematic review: Development of a person-centered care framework within the context of HIV treatment settings in sub-Saharan Africa

OBJECTIVES

Person-centred care (PCC) meets the needs of individuals by increasing convenience, providing supportive and culturally appropriate services to diverse populations, and engaging families, communities, and stakeholders in planning and provision of care. While the evidence demonstrates that PCC approaches can lead to clinical improvements across the HIV care continuum, it is not yet well defined in the context of HIV service delivery.

METHODS

A systematic review was conducted to define PCC practices for HIV treatment services in health facilities in sub-Saharan Africa. Data synthesis led to the development of a PCC framework including domain and sub-domain development. The study team used the Effective Public Health Project Practice tool for quantitative studies to assess the quality of the included studies.

RESULTS

Thirty-one studies from 12 countries met the inclusion criteria, including 56,586 study participants (females 42%-100% and males 0%-58%), resulting in three major domains and 11 sub-domains. These include staffing (sub-domains of composition, availability, and competency); service delivery standards (sub-domains of client feedback mechanisms; service efficiency and integration; convenience and access; and digital health worker support tools); and direct client support services (sub-domains of psychosocial services, logistics support, client-agency, and digital client support tools). Twenty-five of the person-centred interventions within these domains resulted in improvements in linkage to care, treatment retention, and/or viral suppression.

CONCLUSIONS

The PCC framework can help to provide a more consistent classification of HIV treatment interventions and will support improved assessment of these interventions to ensure that people receive personalised care.

"You have a self-testing method that preserves privacy so how come you cannot give us treatment that does too?" Exploring the reasoning among young people about linkage to prevention, care and treatment after HIV self-testing in Southern Malawi

BACKGROUND

Young people, aged 16-24, in southern Malawi have high uptake of HIV self-testing (HIVST) but low rates of linking to services following HIVST, especially in comparison, to older generations. The study aim is to explore the barriers and facilitators to linkage for HIV prevention and care following uptake of HIV self-testing among young Malawians.

METHODS

We used qualitative methods. Young people aged 16-24 who had received HIVST; community-based distribution agents (CBDAs) and health care workers from the linked facilities were purposively sampled from two villages in rural southern Malawi.

RESULTS

We conducted in-depth interviews with thirteen young people (9 female) and held four focus groups with 28 healthcare workers and CBDAs. Young people strongly felt the social consequences associated with inadvertent disclosure of HIV sero-status were a significant deterrent to linkage at their stage in life. They also felt communication on testing benefits and the referral process after testing was poor. In contrast, they valued encouragement from those they trusted, other's positive treatment experiences and having a "strength of mind". CBDAs were important facilitators for young people as they are able to foster a trusting relationship and had more understanding of the factors which prevented young people from linking following HIVST than the healthcare workers. Young people noted contextual barriers to linkage, for example, being seen on the road to the healthcare centre, but also societal gendered barriers. For example, young females and younger adolescents were less likely to have the financial independence to link to services whilst young males (aged 19-24) had the finances but lacked a supportive network to encourage linkage following testing. Overall, it was felt that the primary "responsibility" for linking to formal healthcare following self-testing is shouldered by the young person and not the healthcare system.

CONCLUSIONS

Young people are happy to self-test for HIV but faced barriers to link to services following a self-test. Potential interventions for improving linkage suggested by this analysis include the establishment of youth-friendly linkage services, enhanced lines of communication between young people and healthcare providers and prioritising linkage for future interventions when targeting young people following HIVST.

Two-year retention in care for adolescents on antiretroviral therapy in Ehlanzeni district, South Africa: a baseline cohort analysis

Adolescents living with HIV (ALHIV) struggle to remain engaged in HIV-related care and adhere to antiretroviral treatment (ART) due to a myriad of physical, psychological and cognitive-developmental challenges. We report on the profile of ALHIV aged 10-19 years on ART and the clinical factors associated with their retention in care. A retrospective cohort analysis was conducted with 16,108 ALHIV, aged 10-19 years, who were enrolled in 136 ART clinics in the Ehlanzeni district. Anonymised data were obtained from electronic medical records (Tier.net). Trends in retention in care among adolescents on ART was described using Kaplan-Meier survival estimates. Cox proportional analysis was performed to identify factors associated with retention in care over 2 years. More than half (53%) were females, and median duration on ART was 8 months. Retention in care among adolescents at months 6, 12, 18 and 24 was 90.5%, 85.4%, 80.8% and 76.2%, respectively. After controlling for confounders, risk of dying or lost to follow up increased for female adolescents (aHR = 1.28, 95% CI 1.10-1.49); being initiated on ART while pregnant (aHR = 2.72, 95% CI 1.99-3.69); history of TB infection (aHR = 1.71, 95% CI 1.10-2.65); and started ART at age 10-14 years (aHR = 2.45, 95% CI 1.96-3.05), and 15-19 years (aHR = 9.67, 95% CI 7.25-12.89). Retention in care among adolescents on ART over two-year period was considerably lower than the UNAIDS 2030 target of 95%. Of particular concern for intervention is the lower rates of retention in care among females and pregnant adolescents and starting ART between the ages of 10 and 19 years. Family or caregivers and peer support groups centred interventions designed to promote early initiation and retention in care through early case identification are needed.

Clinical outcomes among adolescents living with HIV in Kenya following initiation on antiretroviral treatment

In Kenya, HIV/AIDS remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among adolescents living with HIV (ALHIV). Our study evaluated associations between demographic and healthcare factors and HIV treatment outcomes among ALHIV in care in Kenya. This retrospective cohort study evaluated the clinical outcomes of newly diagnosed ALHIV enrolled in HIV care during January 2017-June 2018 at 32 healthcare facilities in Homabay and Kakamega Counties. Demographic and clinical data were abstracted from patient clinical records and registers during the follow up study period January 2017-through May 2019. ALHIV were stratified by age (10-14 versus 15-19 years). Categorical variables were summarized using descriptive statistics; continuous variables were analyzed using mean values. The latest available treatment and virological outcomes for ALHIV were assessed. 330 ALHIV were included in the study (mean age 15.9 years; 81.8% female, 63.0% receiving HIV care at lower-level healthcare facilities). Most (93.2%) were initiated on ART within 14 days of diagnosis; 91.4% initiated EFV-based regimens. Of those on ART, only 44.6% were active on care at the end of the study period. Of those eligible for viral load testing, 83.9% were tested with 84.4% viral suppression rate. Retention in care was higher at higher-level facilities (67.5%) compared to lower-level facilities (28.6%). Factors associated with higher retention in care were school attendance (aRR = 1.453), receipt of disclosure support (aRR = 13.315), and receiving care at a high-level health facility (aRR = 0.751). Factors associated with viral suppression included older age (15-19 years) (aRR = 1.249) and pre-ART clinical WHO stage I/II (RR = .668). Viral suppression was higher among older ALHIV. Studies are needed to evaluate effective interventions to improve outcomes among ALHIV in Kenya.

Supporting adolescents living with HIV within boarding schools in Kenya

Adolescents and youth living with HIV (AYLHIV) are a uniquely vulnerable population facing challenges around adherence, disclosure of HIV status and stigma. Providing school-based support for AYLHIV offers an opportunity to optimize their health and wellbeing. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of school-based supportive interventions for AYLHIV in Kenya. From 2016-2019, with funding from ViiV Healthcare, the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation implemented the innovative Red Carpet Program (RCP) for AYLHIV in participating public healthcare facilities and boarding schools in Homa Bay and Turkana Counties in Kenya. In this analysis, we report the implementation of the school-based interventions for AYLHIV in schools, which included: a) capacity building for overall in-school HIV, stigma and sexual and reproductive health education; b) HIV care and treatment support; c) bi-directional linkages with healthcare facilities; and d) psychosocial support (PSS). Overall, 561 school staff and 476 school adolescent health advocates received training to facilitate supportive environments for AYLHIV and school-wide education on HIV, stigma, and sexual and reproductive health. All 87 boarding schools inter-linked to 66 regional healthcare facilities to support care and treatment of AYLHIV. Across all RCP schools, 546 AYLHIV had their HIV status disclosed to school staff and received supportive care within schools, including treatment literacy and adherence counselling, confidential storage and access to HIV medications. School-based interventions to optimize care and treatment support for AYLHIV are feasible and contribute to advancing sexual and reproductive health within schools.

A Review of Interventions to Enhance HIV Medication Adherence

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Adherence to antiretroviral treatment (ART) is crucial for the successful treatment of HIV. Unfortunately, it is estimated that 45% of persons living with HIV (PLWH) have poor adherence to ART. To provide health care professionals and PLWH with effective tools for supporting adherence, researchers have investigated the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions to enhance adherence to ART. In this paper, interventional studies, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses that examine ART adherence interventions for PLWH are reviewed.

RECENT FINDINGS

There is great variability among interventions in terms of quality, sample, measures, and outcome characteristics. Despite a diverse and wide-ranging assortment of ART adherence interventions, consistent lessons have been learned. Interventions that focus on individual and interpersonal factors have been effective for improving ART adherence; however, the improvement in adherence tends to be short-lived. Additionally, interventions are most successful when tailored to those at risk for poor adherence. Finally, theory-based interventions are more likely to be effective than non-theory-based interventions. A variety of individual-level psychological interventions have been shown to be effective in improving ART adherence in the short term. Digital and mobile interventions have the potential to improve dissemination and implementation of these evidence-based interventions and could be used to extend intervention effects. Future interventions that address issues of accessibility, inequality, structural and institutional barriers to ART adherence should also be tested and prioritized. Implementation science frameworks can be used to assess and address issues of accessibility and systematic barriers to care.

Associations Between Key Psychosocial Stressors and Viral Suppression and Retention in Care Among Youth with HIV in Rural South Africa

Despite improvements in access to antiretroviral treatment over the past decade, sub-optimal HIV care outcomes persist among youth with HIV (YWH) in rural South Africa. Psychosocial stressors could impede improved HIV treatment outcomes within this population. We linked self-reported psychosocial health and demographic data from a cross-sectional survey conducted among YWH aged 12-24 in rural South Africa to individual medical record data, including facility visit history and viral load measurements. Poisson regression with robust standard errors was used to estimate the associations between five psychosocial stressors- heightened depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression scale scores ≥ 16), lower social support (Medical Outcomes Social Support Scale scores ≤ 38), lower resilience (Conner-Davidson Resilience Scale scores ≤ 73), lower self-esteem (Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale scores ≤ 21), and higher perceived stress (Sheldon Cohen Perceived Stress Scale scores ≥ 10)- and viral non-suppression (viral load ≥ 400 copies/mL) and loss to care (no documented clinic visits within the 90 days prior to survey), separately. A total of 359 YWH were included in this analysis. The median age of study participants was 21 (interquartile range: 16-23), and most were female (70.2%), single (82.4%), and attending school (54.7%). Over a quarter of participants (28.1%) had heightened depressive symptoms. Just 16.2% of all participants (n = 58) were lost to care at the time of survey, while 32.4% (n = 73) of the 225 participants with viral load data were non-suppressed. The prevalence of non-suppression in individuals with lower self-esteem was 1.71 (95% confidence interval: 1.12, 2.61) times the prevalence of non-suppression in those with higher self-esteem after adjustment. No meaningful association was observed between heightened depressive symptoms, lower social support, lower resilience, and higher perceived stress and viral non-suppression or loss to care in adjusted analyses. Retention in care and viral suppression among YWH in rural South Africa are below global targets. Interventions aimed at improving viral suppression among YWH should incorporate modules to improve participant's self-esteem as low self-esteem is associated with viral non-suppression in this setting. Future studies should longitudinally explore the joint effects of co-occurring psychosocial stressors on HIV care outcomes in YWH and assess meaningful differences in these effects by age, gender, and route of transmission.

Multilevel modelling and multiple group analysis of disparities in continuity of care and viral suppression among adolescents and youths living with HIV in Nigeria

INTRODUCTION

Substantial disparities in care outcomes exist between different subgroups of adolescents and youths living with HIV (AYLHIV). Understanding variation in individual and health facility characteristics could be key to identifying targets for interventions to reduce these disparities. We modelled variation in AYLHIV retention in care and viral suppression, and quantified the extent to which individual and facility characteristics account for observed variations.

METHODS

We included 1170 young adolescents (10-14 years), 3206 older adolescents (15-19 years) and 9151 young adults (20-24 years) who were initiated on antiretroviral therapy (ART) between January 2015 and December 2017 across 124 healthcare facilities in Nigeria. For each age group, we used multilevel modelling to partition observed variation of main outcomes (retention in care and viral suppression at 12 months after ART initiation) by individual (level one) and health facility (level two) characteristics. We used multiple group analysis to compare the effects of individual and facility characteristics across age groups.

RESULTS

Facility characteristics explained most of the observed variance in retention in care in all the age groups, with smaller contributions from individual-level characteristics (14%-22.22% vs 0%-3.84%). For viral suppression, facility characteristics accounted for a higher proportion of variance in young adolescents (15.79%), but not in older adolescents (0%) and young adults (3.45%). Males were more likely to not be retained in care (adjusted OR (aOR)=1.28; p<0.001 young adults) and less likely to achieve viral suppression (aOR=0.69; p<0.05 older adolescent). Increasing facility-level viral load testing reduced the likelihood of non-retention in care, while baseline regimen TDF/3TC/EFV or NVP increased the likelihood of viral suppression.

CONCLUSIONS

Differences in characteristics of healthcare facilities accounted for observed disparities in retention in care and, to a lesser extent, disparities in viral suppression. An optimal combination of individual and health services approaches is, therefore, necessary to reduce disparities in the health and well-being of AYLHIV.

A Cascade of Interventions to Promote Adherence to Antiretroviral Therapy in African Countries

Purpose of Review

We reviewed interventions to improve uptake and adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) in African countries in the Treat All era.

Recent Findings

ART initiation can be improved by facilitated rapid receipt of first prescription, including community-based linkage and point-of-care strategies, integration of HIV care into antenatal care and peer support for adolescents. For people living with HIV (PLHIV) on ART, scheduled SMS reminders, ongoing intensive counselling for those with viral non-suppression and economic incentives for the most deprived show promise. Adherence clubs should be promoted, being no less effective than facility-based care for stable patients. Tracing those lost to follow-up should be targeted to those who can be seen face-to-face by a peer worker.

Summary

Investment is needed to promote linkage to initiating ART and for differentiated approaches to counselling for youth and for those with identified suboptimal adherence. More evidence from within Africa is needed on cost-effective strategies to identify and support PLHIV at an increased risk of non-adherence across the treatment cascade.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1007/s11904-020-00511-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Tailoring youth-friendly health services in Nigeria: a mixed-methods analysis of a designathon approach

BACKGROUND

Young people in low- and middle-income countries are often neglected in designing youth-friendly health services, especially HIV testing and preventive services. Designathons, which are time-bounded co-creation events where individuals gather in teams to develop solutions to a problem, could promote youth participation and ownership of health services.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study is to examine youth participation in a designathon to create youth-friendly health services in Nigeria.

METHODS

Our designathon was based on crowdsourcing principles and informed by a human-centered design approach. The designathon included an open call for Nigerian youths between 14 and 24 years to share ideas on how to promote uptake of HIV self-testing services and a three-day sprint event that brought together diverse teams to develop strategies enhancing linkage to care. Teams pitched their solutions to a panel of five independent experts who scored ideas based on the desirability, feasibility, potential impact, and teamwork. We used descriptive statistics to summarize participants' demographics and conducted a content analysis to synthesize themes from youth proposals.

RESULTS

Nine hundred seventy-six youth across Nigeria applied to join the designathon. Forty-eight youth in 13 teams participated in the designathon with a median age of 20 years (IQR: 17-22]. Boys and young men were 48.5% (446/919) of the total applicants, 62.5% (30/48) of the designathon participants, and 63.6% (7/11) of the finalists. Students, from all educational levels, represented 91.2% (841/922) of the total applicants, 88.4% (38/43) of the designathon participants, and 90.0% (9/10) of the finalists. About twenty-three percent (3/13) of the final proposals were top ranked. The three finalist approaches to optimize youth-friendly health services centered on decentralizing service delivery to young people through mobile health technologies, use of mobile tents, or peer support services.

CONCLUSIONS

Our open call engaged diverse groups of Nigerian youth, including young women and students. Our data suggest that designathons may be useful for developing tailored youth-friendly health services. Further research is needed to understand the designathon process and the effectiveness of the finalist submissions.

Challenges to Antiretroviral Therapy Adherence and Coping Strategies to Overcome Them: Qualitative Investigations of Adolescents Living with HIV, their Caregivers, and Clinicians in Vietnam

Background:

Adolescents living with HIV (ALHIV) in Vietnam are known to struggle with adherence to Antiretroviral Therapy (ART).

Objective:

To examine treatment challenges and facilitators experienced by ALHIV from the perspective of adolescents, their caregivers, and providers, and to inform an adherence intervention.

Methods:

In-depth Interviews (IDIs) of adolescent/caregiver dyads and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with adolescents, caregivers, and clinicians were conducted in Hanoi, Vietnam. We used semi-structured guides to encourage open-ended responses. We queried the challenges adolescents experience taking ART medications and being adherent, their awareness of disease status, and facilitators to support high adherence. Audio-recorded IDIs were translated into English, and coded and analyzed in NVivo using a thematic approach.

Results:

A total of 78 individuals participated in the study. Forty individuals participated in IDIs (20 adolescents and 20 caregivers). All adolescents had acquired HIV perinatally. We conducted six FGDs: four with adolescents, and one each with caregivers and clinicians. We identified major themes regarding awareness of HIV status (most caregivers reported they had disclosed to their child, while few adolescents revealed the knowledge of their status); perceived barriers to adherence (medication-related challenges, stigma, school-associated issues, financial obstacles, system challenges, awareness of HIV status); and adherence facilitators (development of dose-taking habits, reminder systems, social support). Differences between adolescents and caregivers related to key issues were evident.

Conclusion:

Further research is needed to elucidate discrepancies in adolescent-caregiver viewpoints and develop interventions tailored to both ALHIV and their caregivers.

Psychosocial support interventions for improved adherence and retention in ART care for young people living with HIV (10-24 years): a scoping review

Background

Mental health disorders such as high levels of anxiety, isolation, depression and suicide ideation reported among young people living with HIV (10–24 years;YPLHIV) contribute significantly to poor medication adherence and retention in care. While there is evidence supporting the role of psychosocial support interventions in promoting adherence and retention in antiretroviral treatment (ART) among adults living with HIV, there is little evidence on the role of psychosocial support on medication adherence among YPLHIV. This scoping review was designed to identify and classify the types and effects of psychosocial support interventions designed to improve adherence and retention in ART among YPLHIV globally.

Method

We searched six electronic databases (i.e., Scopus, Pubmed and EBSCOHost (Academic Search Premier, CINAHL, Psycarticles and Medline). Six relevant articles published between 2011 and 2019 met our inclusion criteria. We extracted information relevant to the nature and outcomes of the reported interventions using thematic content analysis informed by the Population, Intervention, comparison, outcome, and time (PICOT) framework.

Results

Four distinctive treatment modalities that focused on improving ART adherence and retention in care were identified: individual counselling, support groups, family-centered services, and treatment supporters.

Conclusion

There is a dearth of psychosocial support interventions to improve adherence and retention in ART amongst adolescents and young adults living with HIV. Future research and programming should seek to address psychosocial support interventions or approaches specifically designed to address the needs of YPLHIV.

Trial registration

PROSPERO: Registration CRD42018105057.

Does peer-navigated linkage to care work? A cross-sectional study of active linkage to care within an integrated non-communicable disease-HIV testing centre for adults in Soweto, South Africa

INTRODUCTION

South Africa is the HIV epidemic epicentre; however, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) will be the most common cause of death by 2030. To improve identification and initiation of care for HIV and NCDs, we assessed proportion of clients referred and linked to care (LTC) for abnormal/positive screening results and time to LTC and treatment initiation from a HIV Testing Services (HTS) Centre before and after integrated testing for NCDs with optional peer-navigated linkage to care.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This two-phase prospective study was conducted at an adult HTS Centre in Soweto, South Africa. Phase 1 (February-June 2018) utilised standard of care (SOC) HTS services (blood pressure [BP], HIV rapid diagnostic testing (RDT), sexually transmitted infections [STI]/Tuberculosis [TB] symptom screening) with passive referral for abnormal/positive results. Phase 2 (June 2018-March 2019) further integrated blood glucose/cholesterol/chlamydia RDT, with optional peer-navigated referral. Enrolled referred clients completed telephonic follow-up surveys confirming LTC/treatment initiation ≤3 months post-screening. Socio-demographics, screening results, time to LTC/treatment initiation, peer-navigated referral uptake were reported. Analysis included Fisher's exact, chi-squared, Kruskal Wallis, and Student's T-tests. Thematic analysis was conducted for open-ended survey responses.

RESULTS

Of all 320 referrals, 40.0% were HIV-infections, 11.9% STIs, 6.6% TB, and 28.8% high/low BP. Of Phase 2-only referrals, 29.4% were for glucose and 23.5% cholesterol. Integrated NCD-HTS had significantly more clients LTC for HIV (76.7%[n = 66/86] vs 52.4%[n = 22/42], p = 0.0052) and within a shorter average time (6-8 days [Interquartile range (IQR):1-18.5] vs 8-13 days [IQR:2-32]) as compared to SOC HTS. Integrated NCD-HTS clients initiated HIV/STIs/BP treatment on average more quickly as compared to SOC HTS (5 days for STIs [IQR:1-21], 8 days for HIV/BP [IQR:5-17 and 2-13, respectively] vs 10 days for STIs [IQR: 4-32], 19.5 days for HIV [IQR:6.5-26.5], 8 days for BP [IQR:2-29)]. Participants chose passive over active referral (89.1% vs 10.9%; p<0.0001). Participants rejecting peer-navigated referral preferred to go alone (55.7% [n = 39/70]). Non-LTC was due to being busy (41.1% [n = 39/95]) and not being ready/refusing treatment (31.6% [n = 30/95]). Normalised results assessed at referral clinic (49.7% [n = 98/196]), prescribed lifestyle modification/monitoring (30.9% [n = 61/196]), and poor clinic flow/congestion and/or further testing required (10.7% [n = 21/196]) were associated with non-treatment initiation.

CONCLUSION

Same-day treatment initiation is not achieved across diseases, despite peer-navigated referral. There are psychosocial and health systems barriers at entry to care/treatment initiation. Additional research may identify best strategies for rapid treatment initiation.

Does Capacity Development Increase Demand for Health Services and Rights Among Key Populations Affected by HIV? A Systematic Review of Evidence from Low and Middle-Income Countries

Capacity development is a process by which individuals, organizations and societies develop abilities to perform functions, solve problems and achieve objectives. This systematic review sought to document capacity development interventions, the associated outcomes and its effectiveness in increasing demand for rights and health services among key populations (KP) in low and middle-income countries. Twenty papers met our review's selection criteria. Significant improvements in health service utilization were achieved in most community mobilization and peer-led interventions. Whilst we found ample evidence linking capacity development to uptake of services, there was a striking dearth of research examining the impact of capacity development on demand for rights among KP. There was inadequate contextual data to explain variations in intervention effectiveness across different projects. More evidence is needed on the impact of capacity development on demand for health services and rights among KP. Consensus on parameters of capacity development and priority outcomes is required.

Putting the Dissemination and Implementation in Infectious Diseases

Dissemination and implementation science seeks generalizable knowledge about closing the gap between clinical discovery and actual use in routine practice and public health. The field of infectious diseases enjoys an abundance of highly efficacious interventions (eg, antimicrobial agents, human immunodeficiency virus treatment) which are not adequately used in routine care, thereby missing critical opportunities to improve population health. In this article, we summarize salient features of dissemination and implementation science, reviewing definitions and methodologies for infectious diseases clinicians and researchers. We give examples of the limited use of dissemination and implementation science in infectious diseases thus far, suggest opportunities for application, and provide resources for interested readers to use and apply to their own research and practice.

The effects of Teen Clubs on retention in HIV care among adolescents in Windhoek, Namibia

Background

Adolescents living with HIV (ALHIV) are notably underserved by the national HIV programmes globally because of their unique needs. Of particular concern is limited access to and availability of adolescent-friendly antiretroviral therapy (ART) services, which contribute to poor retention in care in many sub-Saharan African countries. A Teen Club intervention was introduced in 2010 in Windhoek, Namibia, to improve retention in care among ALHIV through psychosocial support in a peer-group environment.

Objectives

To compare the effects of the Teen Club intervention against standard care on retention in HIV care amongst adolescents at a Paediatric ART clinic.

Method

A retrospective cohort analysis of adolescents aged 10–19 years receiving ART between July 2015 and June 2017 was conducted. Routine patient data were extracted from an electronic database and patient registers. A sample of 385 participants was analysed: 78 in the Teen Club and 307 in standard care. Retention was measured by assessing attendance to prescribed clinic visits up to 24 months. Comparisons were assessed with the Chi-square test, and Kaplan–Meier survival analysis was conducted to analyse differences in retention rates.

Results

The overall retention rate at 24 months among all adolescents was 90.1%, with no statistically significant difference between those in Teen Club (91%) and those in standard care (89%) (p = 0.956). Younger adolescents (10–14 years) had better retention rates at 24 months compared to older adolescents (15–19 years) (94% vs. 86%; p = 0.016). Retention rates were significantly higher for adolescents on first-line ART regimen (vs. second line: hazard ratio [HR] = 0.333; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.125–0.889); on ART ≥ 12 months (vs. < 12 months: HR =0.988; 95% CI = 0.977–0.999); and those to whom their HIV status was disclosed (HR = 0.131; 95% CI = 0.025–0.686).

Conclusion

Group-based adherence support interventions did not improve retention rates for younger adolescents in specialised paediatric ART clinics but may still hold the potential for improving retention rates of older adolescents.

The Influence of Social Networks on Antiretroviral Therapy Initiation Among HIV-Infected Antiretroviral Therapy-Naive Youth in Rural Kenya and Uganda

BACKGROUND

HIV-infected youth in sub-Saharan Africa are less likely to initiate antiretroviral therapy (ART) than older adults.

SETTING AND METHODS

Adult (≥15 years) residents enumerated during a census in 32 communities in rural Kenya and Uganda named social contacts in 5 domains: health, money, emotional support, food, and free time. Named contacts were matched to other enumerated residents to build social networks among 150,395 adults; 90% were tested for HIV at baseline. Among youth (15-24 years) who were ART naive at baseline (2013-2014), we evaluated whether having ≥1 network contact who was HIV infected predicted ART initiation within 3 years and modification of this association by age and strength of contact, using logistic regression with robust standard errors.

RESULTS

Among 1120 HIV-infected youth who were ART naive at baseline, 805 remained alive and community residents after 3 years. Of these, 270 (33.5%) named at least one baseline HIV-infected contact; 70% (569/805) subsequently initiated ART. Youth with ≥1 HIV-infected same-age baseline contact were more likely to initiate ART [adjusted odds ratio (aOR), 2.95; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.49 to 5.86] than those with no HIV-infected contact, particularly if the contact was a strong tie (named in >1 domain; aOR, 5.33; 95% CI: 3.34 to 8.52). When nonhousehold contacts were excluded, having an HIV-infected same age contact who was a strong tie remained associated with ART initiation (aOR, 2.81; 95% CI: 1.76 to 4.49).

CONCLUSIONS

Interventions that increase and strengthen existing social connections to other HIV-infected peers at the time of HIV diagnosis may increase ART initiation among HIV-infected youth.

Peer Mentorship via Mobile Phones for Newly Diagnosed HIV-Positive Youths in Clinic Care in Khayelitsha, South Africa: Mixed Methods Study

BACKGROUND

Youths in South Africa are poor utilizers of HIV health services. Medecins Sans Frontieres has been piloting youth-adapted services at a youth clinic in Khayelitsha, including a peer virtual mentorship program over mobile phones, piloted from March 2015 to May 2016.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the peer mentorship program on youth engagement with HIV services and explore the acceptability of the program to both mentors and mentees.

METHODS

Antiretroviral initiation, retention in care (RIC), and viral load suppression were compared between youths engaged in the virtual mentorship program and two matched controls. In-depth interviews were also conducted for 5 mentors and 5 mentees to explore acceptability and impact of the program.

RESULTS

A total of 40 youths were recruited into the virtual mentorship program over the study period. Of these, data were obtained for 35 and 2 matched controls were randomly sampled for each. There was no difference in baseline demographics (eg, age, gender, and CD4 count). Mentees had increased antiretroviral initiation (28/35, 80% vs 30/70, 42% in matched controls) and viral load completion (28/35, 80% vs 32/70, 45%); however, no differences were found in viral load suppression or RIC at 6 or 12 months. Mentors reported being motivated to participate in the program because of previous personal struggles with HIV and a desire to help their peers. Mentees reported fears of disclosure and lack of acceptance of their status as barrier to accessing services, but they felt free to talk to their mentors, valued the mentorship program, and indicated a preference for phone calls.

CONCLUSIONS

Peer mentorship in youths is acceptable to both mentors and mentees and appears to increase linkage to care and viral load completion rates.

Impact of a Comprehensive Adolescent-Focused Case Finding Intervention on Uptake of HIV Testing and Linkage to Care Among Adolescents in Western Kenya

Background:

Low HIV testing uptake prevents identification of adolescents living with HIV and linkage to care and treatment. We implemented an innovative service package at health care facilities to improve HIV testing uptake and linkage to care among adolescents aged 10–19 years in Western Kenya.

Methods:

This quasi-experimental study used preintervention and postintervention data at 139 health care facilities (hospitals, health centers, and dispensaries). The package included health worker capacity building, program performance monitoring tools, adolescent-focused HIV risk screening tool, and adolescent-friendly hours.

The study population was divided into early (10–14 years) and late (15–19 years) age cohorts. Implementation began in July 2016, with preintervention data collected during January–March 2016 and postintervention data collected during January–March 2017. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the numbers of adolescents tested for HIV, testing HIV-positive, and linked to care services. Preintervention and postintervention demographic and testing data were compared using the Poisson mean test. χ² testing was used to compare the linkage to care rates.

Results:

During the preintervention period, 25,520 adolescents were tested, 198 testing HIV-positive (0.8%) compared with 77,644 adolescents tested with 534 testing HIV-positive (0.7%) during the postintervention period (both P-values <0.001). The proportion of HIV-positive adolescents linked to care increased from 61.6% to 94.0% (P < 0.001). The increase in linkage to care was observed among both age cohorts and within each facility type (both P-values <0.001).

Conclusions:

The adolescent-focused case finding intervention package led to a significant increase in both HIV testing uptake and linkage to care services among adolescents in Western Kenya.

"A problem shared is half solved" - a qualitative assessment of barriers and facilitators to adolescent retention in HIV care in western Kenya

Adolescents living with HIV (ALHIV, ages 10-19) are retained in care at low rates, resulting in poor clinical outcomes. We investigated barriers and facilitators to retention experienced by perinatally infected ALHIV in western Kenya. This qualitative study purposefully sampled hospitalized ALHIV (engaged and not currently engaged in care), ALHIV engaged in outpatient care, and caregivers of ALHIV. In total, 116 ALHIV and caregivers participated in interviews or focus group discussions. Challenges related to the effects of both stigma and poverty at multiple socio-ecological levels pose the greatest barriers to adolescent retention in HIV care. Adolescents with positive relationships with family, clinic, and/or peers with the resources to support their care are facilitated to overcome these barriers. Conversely, adolescents with few of these supports due to orphanhood, caregiver illness, severe poverty, family conflicts, negative relationships with healthcare workers, or isolation, have the greatest challenges staying in care, and maybe at risk of disengagement. Experiences of trauma emerged from narratives of disengagement, and contribute to isolation, mental health challenges, and difficulties engaging in care. Retention of the most vulnerable adolescents will require interventions to mitigate the impacts of stigma, poverty, mental health issues, and limited social support on HIV care engagement.

Assessing treatment outcomes among peer educators living with HIV in Kenya

BACKGROUND

People living with HIV (PLHIV) often face barriers in accessing quality and comprehensive HIV care, including stigma and discrimination, which results in poor retention and viral non-suppression. Peer-led interventions can help address these barriers. In Kenya, peer educators (PEs) are PLHIV who support other PLHIV to adhere to clinic schedules and antiretroviral medication uptake. In spite of their status as role models and their key role in supporting clients receiving HIV care and treatment, little is known about the characteristics and treatment outcomes of PEs themselves, specifically viral suppression.

METHODS

This is a retrospective descriptive analysis of program data on treatment outcomes of PEs engaged in active patient support activities between October 2010 and January 2017. All eligible PEs from 140 health facilities located in 23 counties of Kenya were included in the study. Data from 230 PEs were abstracted from the electronic medical records, patient files, and registers between June and August 2017. Study variables included key sociodemographic characteristics (sex, marital status, and age), duration on antiretroviral therapy (ART), WHO clinical staging, baseline CD4 count, current antiretroviral regimen and uptake of isoniazid preventive therapy (IPT). The outcome variable was viral suppression, defined as a viral load <1000 copies/ml.

RESULTS

Overall, 173/230 (75%) of the PEs were female, 144/230 (63%) were married, and median age (LQ, UQ) was 38.5 (33.0, 42.0) years. The PEs had been on ART for a median (LQ, UQ) duration of 76.0 (37.0, 105.0) months. Six months IPT completion was high at 97%. Of the 222 (97%) PEs with an up-to-date viral load taken within the last one year, 211 (95%) were virally suppressed.

CONCLUSION

Our study showed that peer educators actively engaged in patient support activities have achieved high viral suppression rates.

A Pilot Study of "Peer Navigators" to Promote Uptake of HIV Testing, Care and Treatment Among Street-Connected Children and Youth in Eldoret, Kenya

Research suggests a burden of HIV among street-connected youth (SCY) in Kenya. We piloted the use of peer navigators (PNs), individuals of mixed HIV serostatus and with direct experience of being street-connected, to link SCY to HIV testing and care. From January 2015 to October 2017, PNs engaged 781 SCY (585 male, 196 female), median age 16 (IQR 13-20). At initial encounter, 52 (6.6%) were known HIV-positive and 647 (88.8%) agreed to HIV testing. Overall, 63/781 (8.1%) SCY engaged in this program were HIV-positive; 4.6% males and 18.4% females (p < 0.001). Of those HIV-positive, 48 (82.8%) initiated ART. As of October 2017, 35 (60.3%) of the HIV-positive SCY were alive and in care. The pilot suggests that PNs were successful in promoting HIV testing, linkage to care and ART initiation. More research is needed to evaluate how to improve ART adherence, viral suppression and retention in care in this population.

Retention and adherence: global challenges for the long-term care of adolescents and young adults living with HIV

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Adolescents living with HIV are the only age group with increasing HIV mortality at a time of global scale-up of access to antiretroviral therapy (ART). As a 'treat all' strategy is implemented worldwide, it is critically important to optimize retention and adherence for this vulnerable group.

RECENT FINDINGS

Adolescents and young adults living with HIV have poorer outcomes when compared with adults at each stage of the HIV care cascade, irrespective of income setting. Rates of viral suppression are lowest for adolescents living with HIV, and adherence to ART remains an enormous challenge. High-quality studies of interventions to improve linkage to, and retention in, care on suppressive ART are starkly lacking for adolescents and young adults living with HIV across the globe. However, examples of good practice are beginning to emerge but require large-scale implementation studies with outcome data disaggregated by age, route of infection, and income setting, and include young pregnant women and key populations groups.

SUMMARY

There is an urgent need for evidence-based interventions addressing gaps in the adolescent HIV care cascade, including supporting retention in care and adherence to ART.

Youth-friendly services and differentiated models of care are needed to improve outcomes for young people living with HIV

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Outcomes among young people living with HIV (YPLWH) remain disturbingly poor. We summarize recent research on youth-friendly services (YFS) and adolescent-specific differentiated care models, which may improve outcomes across the HIV care continuum for this vulnerable population. We further emphasize unique complexities that characterize the transition from childhood through adolescence to adulthood which must be considered when caring for YPLWH.

RECENT FINDINGS

Studies suggest that YFS may improve outcomes in some but not all steps of the HIV care continuum. However, generalizability is compromised by the limited numbers of studies, frequent use of nonequivalent comparison groups, small sample sizes and/or short follow-up. Reproducibility and scale-up are further hindered by lack of insufficient details on operational aspects of YFS, an effective minimum package of YFS and contextual factors that may facilitate adoption of YFS. Differentiated models of care for YPLWH are in very early stages of development with positive preliminary outcomes, but most pilot models focus only on stable patients on antiretroviral therapy.

SUMMARY

YFS and adolescent-specific differentiated models of care are needed to improve health outcomes among YPLWH, but scale-up should be guided by rigorous research and address the unique complexities that characterize the vulnerable period of adolescence.

Attrition and treatment outcomes among adolescents and youths living with HIV in the Thai National AIDS Program

BACKGROUND

There are limited data describing the care outcome of youth living with HIV in Asia. We assessed attrition and treatment outcomes among youths with behaviourly acquired HIV (BIY) and adolescents with perinatally acquired HIV (PIY) who initiated antiretroviral treatment (ART) through the National AIDS Program (NAP) in Thailand.

METHODS

People living with HIV aged 10-24 years who initiated antiretroviral therapy (ART) from 2008 to 2013 through the Thai NAP and who were followed up until 2014 were included in the analysis. We assessed youths initiating ART: BIY aged 15-19 years (BIY1) and BIY aged 20-24 (BIY2) compared against PIY aged 10-14 years. Attrition rates (mortality and loss to follow-up [LTFU]) were calculated and potential associations were assessed using Cox regression. Logistic regression was used to assess associations with treatment failure.

RESULTS

Of 11,954 individuals, 9909 (83%) were BIY with a median follow-up of 2.1 years and 17% were PIY with 4.2 years of follow-up. The median baseline CD4 cell count in BIY was higher (190 vs 154 cells/mm³) compared to PIY. Mortality rates were not significantly different among PIY (2.5 per 100 person years [PY], BIY1 3.1/100 PY and BIY2 2.9/100 PY, P=0.46). Compared to PIY with a crude LTFU rate of 2.9/100 PY, LTFU was higher in BIY1 (13.9/100 PY) and BIY2 (9.5/100 PY), P<0.001 and P<0.001, respectively. At 1 year after initiating ART, 16% experienced virological failure (viral load above 1000 copies/mL). Combined treatment failure and LTFU rates at 1 year after ART were higher among BIY1 (45.0%) and BIY2 (34.4%) compared to PIY (29.9%), P<0.001 and 0.001, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Youth with behaviourally acquired HIV aged 15-19 years had poorer retention rates than older BIY and PIY. Targeted interventions for youth are urgently needed to improve overall treatment outcomes.

Traversing the cascade: urgent research priorities for implementing the 'treat all' strategy for children and adolescents living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa

Children and adolescents living with HIV (CALHIV) in sub-Saharan Africa experience significant morbidity and alarmingly high mortality rates due to critical gaps in the HIV care cascade, including late diagnosis and initiation of treatment, as well as poor retention in care and adherence to treatment. Interventions to strengthen the adult HIV care cascade may not be as effective in improving the cascade for CALHIV, for whom specific strategies are needed. Particular attention needs to be paid to the contexts of sub-Saharan Africa, where more than 85% of the world's CALHIV live. Implementing the 'treat all' strategy in sub-Saharan Africa requires dedicated efforts to address the unique diagnosis and care needs of CALHIV, in order to improve paediatric and adolescent outcomes, prevent viral resistance and reduce the number of new HIV infections. We consider the UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets from the perspective of infants, children and adolescents, and discuss the key challenges, knowledge gaps and urgent research priorities for CALHIV in implementation of the 'treat all' strategy in sub-Saharan Africa.

Influence and involvement of support people in adolescent and young adult HIV testing

HIV incidence and mortality are high among adolescents and young adults (AYA) in sub-Saharan Africa, but testing rates are low. Understanding how support people (SP), such as peers, partners, or parents, influence AYA may improve HIV testing uptake. AYA aged 14-24 seeking HIV testing at a referral hospital in Nairobi, Kenya completed a post-test survey assessing the role of SP. Among 1062 AYA, median age was 21. Overall, 12% reported their decision to test was influenced by a parent, 20% by a partner, and 22% by a peer. Young adults (20-24 years old) were more likely than adolescents (14-19 years old) to be influenced to test by partners (23% vs. 12%, p < .001), and less likely by parents (6.6% vs. 27%, p < .001), healthcare workers (11% vs. 16%, p < .05), or counselors (9.4% vs. 19%, p < .001). Half of AYA were accompanied for testing (9.9% with parent, 10% partner, 23% peer, 4.3% others, and 2.1% multiple types). Young adults were more likely than adolescents to present alone (58% vs. 32%, p < .001) or with a partner (12% vs. 6.7%, p < .05), and less likely with a parent (1.6% vs. 31%, p < .001). Similar proportions of adolescents and young adults came with a peer or in a group. Correlates of presenting with SP included: younger age (aRR = 1.55 [95%CI = 1.30-1.85]), female sex (aRR = 1.45 [95%CI = 1.21-1.73]), and school enrollment (aRR = 1.41 [95%CI = 1.05-1.88]). SP play an important role in AYAs' HIV testing and varies with age. Leveraging SP may promote uptake of HIV testing and subsequent linkage care for AYA.

Active case finding: comparison of the acceptability, feasibility and effectiveness of targeted versus blanket provider-initiated-testing and counseling of HIV among children and adolescents in Cameroon

Background

Children and adolescents still lag behind adults in accessing antiretroviral therapy (ART), which is largely due to their limited access to HIV testing services. This study compares the acceptability, feasibility and effectiveness of targeted versus blanket provider-initiated testing and counseling (PITC) among children and adolescents in Cameroon.

Methods

During a 6-month period in three hospitals in Cameroon, we invited HIV-positive parents to have their biological children (6 weeks-19 years) tested for HIV (targeted PITC). During that same period and in the same hospitals, we also systematically offered HIV testing to all children evaluated at the outpatient department (blanket PITC). Children of consenting parents were tested for HIV, and positive cases were enrolled on ART. We compared the acceptability, feasibility and effectiveness of targeted and blanket PITC using Chi-square test at 5% significant level.

Results

We enrolled 1240 and 2459 eligible parents in the targeted PITC (tPITC) and blanket PITC (bPITC) group, and 99.7% and 98.8% of these parents accepted the offer to have their children tested for HIV, respectively. Out of the 1990 and 2729 children enrolled in the tPITC and bPITC group, 56.7% and 90.3% were tested for HIV (p < 0.0001), respectively. The HIV positivity rate was 3.5% (CI:2.4–4.5) and 1.6% (CI:1.1–2.1) in the tPITC and bPITC (p = 0.0008), respectively. This finding suggests that the case detection was two times higher in tPITC compared to bPITC, or alternatively, 29 and 63 children have to be tested to identify one HIV case with the implementation of tPITC and bPITC, respectively. The majority (84.8%) of HIV-positive children in the tPITC group were diagnosed earlier at WHO stage 1, and cases were mostly diagnosed at WHO stage 3 (39.1%) (p < 0.0001) in the bPITC group. Among the children who tested HIV-positive, 85.0% and 52.5% from the tPITC and bPITC group respectively, were enrolled on ART (p = 0.0018).

Conclusions

The tPITC and bPITC strategies demonstrated notable high HIV testing acceptance. tPITC was superior to bPITC in terms of case detection, case detection earliness and linkage to care. These findings indicate that tPITC is effective in case detection and linkage of children and adolescents to ART.

Trial registration

Trial registration Number: NCT03024762. Name of Registry: ClinicalTrial.gov. Date registration: January 19, 2017 (‘retrospectively registered’). Date of enrolment first patient: 15/07/2015.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12887-018-1276-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Adolescents, young people, and the 90-90-90 goals: a call to improve HIV testing and linkage to treatment

The current low rates of HIV diagnosis and treatment initiation among adolescents and young people ages 15–24 continues to present a significant challenge to the epidemic control of HIV. With a ‘business as usual’ approach to HIV testing and linkage to treatment, new infections among adolescents and youth will likely increase, with the burden compounded by the increasing number of youth in Africa, expected to reach 293 million by 2025. Recent studies reveal significant gaps in the HIV clinical cascade among young people as the global community pursues the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS 90–90–90 targets. This AIDS supplement was commissioned with the goal of informing program planners, researchers, policymakers, and funding agencies about the development and design of effective adolescent and youth programs, policies, and strategies for improving the first two 90s among adolescents and youth: HIV testing and diagnosis and linkage to care and treatment. Emerging evidence should inform efforts to better target the youth and adolescents who are most at risk, aiming for early diagnosis and treatment initiation for those who are HIV positive, while also ensuring appropriate primary prevention so that those identified as HIV negative remain so.