Effect of Community Support Agents on Retention of People Living With HIV in Pre-antiretroviral Care: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Eastern Uganda

Peer-Led Community-Based Support Services and HIV Treatment Outcomes Among People Living With HIV in Wuxi, China: Propensity Score-Matched Analysis of Surveillance Data From 2006 to 2021

BACKGROUND

Community-based organizations deliver peer-led support services to people living with HIV. Systematic reviews have found that peer-led community-based support services can improve HIV treatment outcomes; however, few studies have been implemented to evaluate its impact on mortality using long-term follow-up data.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to evaluate the associations between the receipt of peer-led community-based support services and HIV treatment outcomes and survival among people living with HIV in Wuxi, China.

METHODS

We performed a propensity score-matched retrospective cohort study using data collected from the Chinese National HIV/AIDS Comprehensive Information Management System for people living with HIV in Wuxi, China, between 2006 and 2021. People living with HIV who received adjunctive peer-led community-based support for at least 6 months from a local community-based organization (exposure group) were matched to people living with HIV who only received routine clinic-based HIV care (control group). We compared the differences in HIV treatment outcomes and survival between these 2 groups using Kaplan-Meier curves. We used competing risk and Cox proportional hazards models to assess correlates of AIDS-related mortality (ARM) and all-cause mortality. We reported adjusted subdistribution hazard ratio and adjusted hazard ratio with 95% CIs.

RESULTS

A total of 860 people living with HIV were included (430 in the exposure group and 430 in the control group). The exposure group was more likely to adhere to antiretroviral therapy (ART; 396/430, 92.1% vs 360/430, 83.7%; P<.001), remain retained in care 12 months after ART initiation (402/430, 93.5% vs 327/430, 76.1%; P<.001), and achieve viral suppression 9 to 24 months after ART initiation (357/381, 93.7% vs 217/243, 89.3%; P=.048) than the control group. The exposure group had significantly lower ARM (1.8 vs 7.0 per 1000 person-years; P=.01) and all-cause mortality (2.3 vs 9.3 per 1000 person-years; P=.002) and significantly higher cumulative survival rates (P=.003). The exposure group had a 72% reduction in ARM (adjusted subdistribution hazard ratio 0.28, 95% CI 0.09-0.95) and a 70% reduction in all-cause mortality (adjusted hazard ratio 0.30, 95% CI 0.11-0.82). The nonrandomized retrospective nature of our analysis prevents us from determining whether peer-led community-based support caused the observed differences in HIV treatment outcomes and survival between the exposure and control groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The receipt of peer-led community-based support services correlated with significantly improved HIV treatment outcomes and survival among people living with HIV in a middle-income country in Asia. The 15-year follow-up period in this study allowed us to identify associations with survival not previously reported in the literature. Future interventional trials are needed to confirm these findings.

Evidence and gap map report: Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) interventions for strengthening HIV prevention and research among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)

BACKGROUND

Adolescent girls and young women (AGYW), aged 15-24 years, are disproportionately affected by HIV and other sexual and reproductive health (SRH) risks due to varying social, cultural, and economic factors that affect their choices and shape their knowledge, understanding, and practices with regard to their health. Socio-Behavioral Change Communication (SBCC) interventions targeted at strengthening the capabilities of individuals and their networks have supported the demand and uptake of prevention services and participation in biomedical research. However, despite growing global recognition of the domain, high-quality evidence on the effectiveness of SBCC remains scattered. This evidence and gap map (EGM) report characterizes the evidence base on SBCC interventions for strengthening HIV Prevention and Research among AGYW in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), identifying evidence gaps and outlining the scope of future research and program design.

OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the proposed EGM are to: (a) identify and map existing EGMs in the use of diverse SBCC strategies to strengthen the adoption of HIV prevention measures and participation in research among AGYW in LMICs and (b) identify areas where more interventions and evidence are needed to inform the design of future SBCC strategies and programs for AGYW engagement in HIV prevention and research.

METHODS

This EGM is based on a comprehensive search of systematic reviews and impact evaluations corresponding to a range of interventions and outcomes-aimed at engaging AGYW in HIV prevention and research - that were published in LMICs from January 2000 to April 2021. Based on guidance for producing a Campbell Collaboration EGM, the intervention and outcome framework was designed in consultation with a group of experts. These interventions were categorized across four broad intervention themes: mass-media, community-based, interpersonal, and Information Communication and Technology (ICT)/Digital Media-based interventions. They were further sub-categorized into 15 intervention categories. Included studies looked at 23 unique behavioral and health outcomes such as knowledge attitude and skills, relationship dynamics, household dynamics, health care services, and health outcomes and research engagement. The EGM is presented as a matrix in which the rows are intervention categories/sub-categories, and the columns are outcome domains/subdomains. Each cell is mapped to an intervention targeted at outcomes. Additional filters like region, country, study design, age group, funding agency, influencers, population group, publication status, study confidence, setting, and year of publication have been added.

SELECTION CRITERIA

To be eligible, studies must have tested the effectiveness of SBCC interventions at engaging AGYW in LMICs in HIV prevention and research. The study sample must have consisted of AGYW between the ages of 15-24, as defined by UNAIDS. Both experimental (random assignment) and quasi-experimental studies that included a comparison group were eligible. Relevant outcomes included those at the individual, influencer, and institutional levels, along with those targeting research engagement and prevention-related outcomes.

RESULTS

This EGM comprises 415 impact evaluations and 43 systematic reviews. Interventions like peer-led interactions, counseling, and community dialogues were the most dominant intervention sub-types. Despite increased digital penetration use of media and technology-driven interventions are relatively less studied. Most of the interventions were delivered by peers, health care providers, and educators, largely in school-based settings, and in many cases are part of sex-education curricula. Evidence across geographies was mostly concentrated in Sub-Saharan Africa (70%). Most measured outcomes focused on disease-related knowledge dissemination and enhancing awareness of available prevention options/strategies. These included messaging around consistent condom use, limiting sexual partners, routine testing, and awareness. Very few studies were able to include psychographic, social, and contextual factors influencing AGYW health behaviors and decisions, especially those measuring the impact of social and gender norms, relationship dynamics, and household dynamics-related outcomes. Outcomes related to engagement in the research were least studied.

CONCLUSION

This EGM highlights that evidence is heavily concentrated within the awareness-intent spectrum of behavior change and gets lean for outcomes situated within the intent-action and the action-habit formation spectrum of the behavior change continuum. Most of the evidence was concentrated on increasing awareness, knowledge, and building risk perception around SRH domains, however, fewer studies focused on strengthening the agency and self-efficacy of individuals. Similarly, evidence on extrinsic factors-such as strengthening social and community norms, relationships, and household dynamics-that determine individual thought and action such as negotiation and life skills were also found to be less populated. Few studies explore the effectiveness of these interventions across diverse AGYW identities, like pregnant women and new mothers, sex workers, and people living with HIV, leading to limited understanding of the use of these interventions across multiple user segments including key influencers such as young men, partners, families, religious leaders, and community elders was relatively low. There is a need for better quality evidence that accounts for the diversity of experiences within these populations to understand what interventions work, for whom, and toward what outcome. Further, the evidence for use of digital and mass-media tools remains poorly populated. Given the increasing penetration of these tools and growing media literacy on one end, with widening gender-based gaps on the other, it is imperative to gather more high-quality evidence on their effectiveness. Timely evidence generation can help leverage these platforms appropriately and enable intervention designs that are responsive to changing communication ecologies of AGYW. SBCC can play a critical role in helping researchers meaningfully engage and collaborate with communities as equal stakeholders, however, this remains poorly evidenced and calls for investigation and investment. A full list of abbreviations and acronyms are available in Supporting Information: Appendix F.

A three-year randomized community trial of community support workers in rural Ethiopia to promote retention in HIV care

Retention in care is a major challenge for global AIDS control, including sub-Saharan Africa. In a large Ethiopian region, we evaluated an intervention where HIV positive community support workers (CSWs) provided HIV health education, personal counseling and social support for HIV patients new to care. We enrolled 1,799 patients recently entering care from 32 hospitals and health centers, randomized to intervention or control sites. Dates of all clinic visits, plus deaths or transfers were abstracted from HIV medical records. Primary outcomes were gap in clinical care (>90 days from a missed clinical or drug pickup appointment) and death. For 36 months of follow-up, and for the first 12 months after enrollment, weighted risk differences [RD] between treatment arms were modest and non-significant for gap in clinical care, death or either outcome. Through 36 months, 624 of 980 controls and 469 of 819 intervention participants had gaps in clinical care (RD = -5.5%, 95% confidence interval [CI] = -17.9%, 7.0%); 79 controls and 82 intervention participants died (RD = 2.5% 95% CI = -1.7%, 6.8%). Factors including HIV stigma and a volatile political climate may have attenuated the advantages we anticipated, demonstrating how benefits of CSW interventions may depend upon psychosocial, clinical and structural factors particular to specific community settings.

Site-Level Comprehensiveness of Care Is Associated with Individual Clinical Retention Among Adults Living with HIV in International Epidemiology Databases to Evaluate AIDS, a Global HIV Cohort Collaboration, 2000-2016

Retention in care (RIC) reduces HIV transmission and associated morbidity and mortality. We examined whether delivery of comprehensive services influenced individual RIC within the International epidemiology Databases to Evaluate AIDS (IeDEA) network. We collected site data through IeDEA assessments 1.0 (2000-2009) and 2.0 (2010-2016). Each site received a comprehensiveness score for service availability (1 = present, 0 = absent), with tallies ranging from 0 to 7. We obtained individual-level cohort data for adults with at least one visit from 2000 to 2016 at sites responding to either assessment. Person-time was recorded annually, with RIC defined as completing two visits at least 90 days apart in each calendar year. Multivariable modified Poisson regression clustered by site yielded risk ratios and predicted probabilities for individual RIC by comprehensiveness. Among 347,060 individuals in care at 122 sites with 1,619,558 person-years of follow-up, 69.8% of person-time was retained in care, varying by region from 53.8% (Asia-Pacific) to 82.7% (East Africa); RIC improved by about 2% per year from 2000 to 2016 (p = 0.012). Every site provided CD4+ count testing, and >90% of individuals received care at sites that provided combination antiretroviral therapy adherence measures, prevention of mother-to-child transmission, tuberculosis screening, HIV-related prevention, and community tracing services. In adjusted models, individuals at sites with more comprehensive services had higher probabilities of RIC (0.71, 0.74, and 0.83 for scores 5, 6, and 7, respectively; p = 0.019). Within IeDEA, greater site-level comprehensiveness of services was associated with improved individual RIC. Much work remains in exploring this relationship, which may inform HIV clinical practice and health systems planning.

Behavioral and cognitive interventions to improve treatment adherence and access to HIV care among older adults in sub-Saharan Africa: an updated systematic review

BACKGROUND

Approximately 14% of Africans infected with HIV are over the age of 50, yet few intervention studies focus on improving access to care, retention in care, and adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) in this population. A review of the published literature until 2012, found no relevant ART management and care interventions for older people living with HIV (OPLHIV) in sub-Saharan Africa. The aim of this systematic review is to update the original systematic review of intervention studies on OPLHIV, with a focus on evidence from sub-Saharan Africa.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic review of the available published literature from 2012 to 2017 to explore behavioral and cognitive interventions addressing access to ART, retention in HIV care and adherence to ART in sub-Saharan Africa that include older adults (50+). We searched three databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Education Resources Information Center) using relevant Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms as well as a manual search of the reference lists. No language restrictions were placed. We identified eight articles which were analyzed using content analysis with additional information obtained directly from the corresponding authors.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

There were no studies that exclusively focused on OPLHIV. Three studies referred only to participants being over 18 years and did not specify age categories. Therefore, it is unclear whether these studies actively considered people living with HIV over the age of 50. Although the studies sampled older adults, they lacked sufficient data to draw conclusions about the relevance of the outcomes of this group.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings underscore the need to increase the evidence-base of which interventions will work for older Africans on ART.

A multi-site community randomized trial of community health workers to provide counseling and support for patients newly entering HIV care in rural Ethiopia: study design and baseline implementation

BACKGROUND

Although HIV therapy is delivered to millions globally, treatment default (especially soon after entering care) remains a challenge. Community health workers (CHWs) can provide many services for people with HIV, including in rural and resource-limited settings.

OBJECTIVES

We designed and implemented a 32 site community randomized trial throughout southern Ethiopia to assess an intervention using CHWs to improve retention in HIV care.

METHODS

Sixteen district hospital and 16 local health center HIV clinics were randomized 1:1 to be intervention or control sites. From each site, we enrolled adults newly entering HIV care. Participants at intervention sites were assigned a CHW who provided: HIV and health education; counseling and social support; and facilitated communication with HIV clinics. All participants are followed through three years with annual health surveys, plus HIV clinic record abstraction including clinic visit dates. CHWs record operational data about their client contacts.

RESULTS

1799 HIV patients meeting inclusion criteria were enrolled and randomized: 59% were female, median age = 32 years, median CD4 + count = 263 cells/mm³, and 41% were WHO Stage III or IV. A major enrollment challenge was fewer new HIV patients initiating care at participating sites due to shortage of HIV test kits. At intervention sites, 71 CHWs were hired, trained and assigned to clients. In meeting with clients, CHWs needed to accommodate to various challenges, including HIV stigma, distance, and clients lacking cell phones.

CONCLUSIONS

This randomized community HIV trial using CHWs in a resource-limited setting was successfully launched, but required flexibility to adapt to unforeseen challenges.

High rates of viral suppression in adults and children with high CD4+ counts using a streamlined ART delivery model in the SEARCH trial in rural Uganda and Kenya

Introduction: The 2015 WHO recommendation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) for all HIV-positive persons calls for treatment initiation in millions of persons newly eligible with high CD4+ counts. Efficient and effective care models are urgently needed for this population. We evaluated clinical outcomes of asymptomatic HIV-positive adults and children starting ART with high CD4+ counts using a novel streamlined care model in rural Uganda and Kenya.

Methods: In the 16 intervention communities of the HIV test-and-treat Sustainable East Africa Research for Community Health Study (NCT01864603), all HIV-positive individuals irrespective of CD4 were offered ART (efavirenz [EFV]/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate + emtricitabine (FTC) or lamivudine (3TC). We studied adults (≥fifteen years) with CD4 ≥ 350/μL and children (two to fourteen years) with CD4 > 500/μL otherwise ineligible for ART by country guidelines. Clinics implemented a patient-centred streamlined care model designed to reduce patient-level barriers and maximize health system efficiency. It included (1) nurse-conducted visits with physician referral of complex cases, (2) multi-disease chronic care (including for hypertension/diabetes), (3) patient-centred, friendly staff, (4) viral load (VL) testing and counselling, (5) three-month return visits and ART refills, (6) appointment reminders, (7) tiered tracking for missed appointments, (8) flexible clinic hours (outside routine schedule) and (9) telephone access to clinicians. Primary outcomes were 48-week retention in care, viral suppression (% with measured week 48 VL ≤ 500 copies/mL) and adverse events.

Results: Overall, 972 HIV-positive adults with CD4+ ≥ 350/μL initiated ART with streamlined care. Patients were 66% female and had median age thirty-four years (IQR, 28–42), CD4+ 608/μL (IQR, 487–788/μL) and VL 6775 copies/mL (IQR, <500–37,003 c/mL). At week 48, retention was 92% (897/972; 2 died/40 moved/8 withdrew/4 transferred care/21/964 [2%] were lost to follow-up). Viral suppression occurred in 778/838 (93%) and 800/972 (82%) in intention-to-treat analysis. Grade III/IV clinical/laboratory adverse events were rare: 95 occurred in 74/972 patients (7.6%). Only 8/972 adults (0.8%) switched ART from EFV to lopinavir (LPV) (n = 2 for dizziness, n = 2 for gynaecomastia, n = 4 for other reasons). Among 83 children, week 48 retention was 89% (74/83), viral suppression was 92% (65/71) and grade III/IV adverse events occurred in 4/83 (4.8%).

Conclusions: Using a streamlined care model, viral suppression, retention and ART safety were high among asymptomatic East African adults and children with high CD4+ counts initiating treatment.

Clinical Trial Number: NCT01864603

A Framework for Health Communication Across the HIV Treatment Continuum

Supplemental Digital Content is Available in the Text.

Background:

As test and treat rolls out, effective interventions are needed to address the determinants of outcomes across the HIV treatment continuum and ensure that people infected with HIV are promptly tested, initiate treatment early, adhere to treatment, and are virally suppressed. Communication approaches offer viable options for promoting relevant behaviors across the continuum.

Conceptual Framework:

This article introduces a conceptual framework, which can guide the development of effective health communication interventions and activities that aim to impact behaviors across the HIV treatment continuum in low- and medium-income countries. The framework includes HIV testing and counseling, linkage to care, retention in pre-antiretroviral therapy and antiretroviral therapy initiation in one single-stage linkage to care and treatment, and adherence for viral suppression. The determinants of behaviors vary across the continuum and include both facilitators and barriers with communication interventions designed to focus on specific determinants presented in the model. At each stage, relevant determinants occur at the various levels of the social–ecological model: intrapersonal, interpersonal, health services, community, and policy. Effective health communication interventions have mainly relied on mHealth, interpersonal communication through service providers and peers, community support groups, and treatment supporters.

Discussion:

The conceptual framework and evidence presented highlight areas across the continuum where health communication can significantly impact treatment outcomes to reach the 90-90-90 goals by strategically addressing key behavioral determinants. As test and treat rolls out, multifaceted health communication approaches will be critical.

Specification of implementation interventions to address the cascade of HIV care and treatment in resource-limited settings: a systematic review

Background

The global response to HIV has started over 18 million persons on life-saving antiretroviral therapy (ART)—the vast majority in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC)—yet substantial gaps remain: up to 40% of persons living with HIV (PLHIV) know their status, while another 30% of those who enter care are inadequately retained after starting treatment. Identifying strategies to enhance use of treatment is urgently needed, but the conceptualization and specification of implementation interventions is not always complete. We sought to assess the completeness of intervention reporting in research to advance uptake of treatment for HIV globally.

Methods

We carried out a systematic review to identify interventions targeting the adult HIV care cascade in LMIC dating from 1990 to 2017. We identified components of each intervention as “intervention types” to decompose interventions into common components. We grouped “intervention types” into a smaller number of more general “implementation approaches” to aid summarization.

We assessed the reporting of six intervention characteristics adapted from the implementation science literature: the actor, action, action dose, action temporality, action target, and behavioral target in each study.

Findings

In 157 unique studies, we identified 34 intervention “types,” which were empirically grouped into six generally understandable “approaches.” Overall, 42% of interventions defined the actor, 64% reported the action, 41% specified the intervention “dose,” 43% reported action temporality, 61% defined the action target, and 69% reported a target behavior. Average completeness of reporting varied across approaches from a low of 50% to a high of 72%. Dimensions that involved conceptualization of the practices themselves (e.g., actor, dose, temporality) were in general less well specified than consequences (e.g., action target and behavioral target).

Implications

The conceptualization and Reporting of implementation interventions to advance treatment for HIV in LMIC is not always complete. Dissemination of standards for reporting intervention characteristics can potentially promote transparency, reproducibility, and scientific accumulation in the area of implementation science to address HIV in low- and middle-income countries.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13012-017-0630-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Interventions to Reduce Loss to Follow-up During All Stages of the HIV Care Continuum in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review

The continuum of care for successful HIV treatment includes HIV testing, linkage, engagement in care, and retention on antiretroviral therapy (ART). Loss to follow-up (LTFU) is a significant disruption to this pathway and a common outcome in sub-Saharan Africa. This review of literature identified interventions that have reduced LTFU in the HIV care continuum. A search was conducted utilizing terms that combined the disease state, stages of the HIV care continuum, interventions, and LTFU in sub-Saharan Africa and articles published between January 2010 and July 2015. Thirteen articles were included in the final review. Use of point of care CD4 testing and community-supported programs improved linkage, engagement, and retention in care. There are few interventions directed at LTFU and none that span across the entire continuum of HIV care. Further research could focus on devising programs that include a series of interventions that will be effective through the entire continuum.

Impact of Facility- and Community-Based Peer Support Models on Maternal Uptake and Retention in Malawi's Option B+ HIV Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission Program: A 3-Arm Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial (PURE Malawi)

BACKGROUND

Many sub-Saharan African countries have adopted Option B+, a prevention of mother-to-child transmission approach providing HIV-infected pregnant and lactating women with immediate lifelong antiretroviral therapy. High maternal attrition has been observed in Option B+. Peer-based support may improve retention.

METHODS

A 3-arm stratified cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted in Malawi to assess whether facility- and community-based peer support would improve Option B+ uptake and retention compared with standard of care (SOC). In SOC, no enhancements were made (control). In facility-based and community-based models, peers provided patient education, support groups, and patient tracing. Uptake was defined as attending a second scheduled follow-up visit. Retention was defined as being alive and in-care at 2 years without defaulting. Attrition was defined as death, default, or stopping antiretroviral therapy. Generalized estimating equations were used to estimate risk differences (RDs) in uptake. Cox proportional hazards regression with shared frailties was used to estimate hazard of attrition.

RESULTS

Twenty-one facilities were randomized and enrolled 1269 women: 447, 428, and 394 in facilities that implemented SOC, facility-based, and community-based peer support models, respectively. Mean age was 27 years. Uptake was higher in facility-based (86%; RD: 6%, confidence interval [CI]: -3% to 15%) and community-based (90%; RD: 9%, CI: 1% to 18%) models compared with SOC (81%). At 24 months, retention was higher in facility-based (80%; RD: 13%, CI: 1% to 26%) and community-based (83%; RD: 16%, CI: 3% to 30%) models compared with SOC (66%).

CONCLUSIONS

Facility- and community-based peer support interventions can benefit maternal uptake and retention in Option B+.

An early assessment of Uganda's roll-out of Option B+: Service capacity and infant outcomes

BACKGROUND

Uganda was one of the first countries in sub-Saharan Africa to implement Option B+ as its national strategy for prevention-of-mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV, doing so in 2013. We report on two evaluations designed to assess the capacity of the health care system to implement Option B+, and to obtain preliminary information on the maternal-to-child-transmission rate of HIV.

METHODS

We performed: 1) a cross-sectional assessment in 2014 of 505 health care facilities (49 district hospitals, 83 Health Center [HC] IVs, and 373 HCIIIs) in 62 of Uganda's 112 districts to evaluate whether services and commodities required for Option B+ were being provided; and 2) a retrospective record review of 283 HIV-exposed infants enrolled in post-natal care in 2013 in the Central Region to evaluate infant outcomes at 18-months of age.

RESULTS

Less than 50% of HCIIIs performed routine diagnostics, including syphilis, hemoglobin, and urinalysis testing, required at all ante-natal clinics; almost all facilities performed a baseline CD4 cell count, but only 44.5% of HCIIIs and 60.2% of HCIVs performed follow-up testing. The proportion of facilities monitoring antiretroviral therapy (ART) (47.2-69.4%) and clinic adherence (50.0-67.3%) was low. Many facilities (20.4-45.8%) reported stock-outs of ART and HIV test kits in the prior month. At 18 months, 53.7% of HIV-exposed infants were lost to follow-up (LTFU). Among those retained, 6.5% were HIV infected.

CONCLUSION

Significant shortcomings in service provision and high LTFU of HIV-exposed infants are barriers to Uganda's ability to implement Option B+ successfully.

Qualitative insights into implementation, processes, and outcomes of a randomized trial on peer support and HIV care engagement in Rakai, Uganda

BACKGROUND

People living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) who have not yet initiated antiretroviral therapy (ART) can benefit from being engaged in care and utilizing preventive interventions. Community-based peer support may be an effective approach to promote these important HIV services.

METHODS

After conducting a randomized trial of the impact of peer support on pre-ART outcomes, we conducted a qualitative evaluation to better understand trial implementation, processes, and results. Overall, 75 participants, including trial participants (clients), peer supporters, and clinic staff, participated in 41 in-depth interviews and 6 focus group discussions. A situated Information Motivation, and Behavioral skills model of behavior change was used to develop semi-structured interview and focus group guides. Transcripts were coded and thematically synthesized.

RESULTS

We found that participant narratives were generally consistent with the theoretical model, indicating that peer support improved information, motivation, and behavioral skills, leading to increased engagement in pre-ART care. Clients described how peer supporters reinforced health messages and helped them better understand complicated health information. Peer supporters also helped clients navigate the health system, develop support networks, and identify strategies for remembering medication and clinic appointments. Some peer supporters adopted roles beyond visiting patients, serving as a bridge between the client and his or her family, community, and health system. Qualitative results demonstrated plausible processes by which peer support improved client engagement in care, cotrimoxazole use, and safe water vessel use. Challenges identified included insufficient messaging surrounding ART initiation, lack of care continuity after ART initiation, rare breaches in confidentiality, and structural challenges.

CONCLUSIONS

The evaluation found largely positive perceptions of the peer intervention across stakeholders and provided valuable information to inform uptake and scalability of the intervention. Study findings also suggest several areas for improvement for future implementation of pre-ART peer support programs.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

NCT01366690 . Registered June 2, 2011.

How home HIV testing and counselling with follow-up support achieves high testing coverage and linkage to treatment and prevention: a qualitative analysis from Uganda

Introduction

The successes of HIV treatment scale-up and the availability of new prevention tools have raised hopes that the epidemic can finally be controlled and ended. Reduction in HIV incidence and control of the epidemic requires high testing rates at population levels, followed by linkage to treatment or prevention. As effective linkage strategies are identified, it becomes important to understand how these strategies work. We use qualitative data from The Linkages Study, a recent community intervention trial of community-based testing with linkage interventions in sub-Saharan Africa, to show how lay counsellor home HIV testing and counselling (home HTC) with follow-up support leads to linkage to clinic-based HIV treatment and medical male circumcision services.

Methods

We conducted 99 semi-structured individual interviews with study participants and three focus groups with 16 lay counsellors in Kabwohe, Sheema District, Uganda. The participant sample included both HIV+ men and women (N=47) and HIV-uncircumcised men (N=52). Interview and focus group audio-recordings were translated and transcribed. Each transcript was summarized. The summaries were analyzed inductively to identify emergent themes. Thematic concepts were grouped to develop general constructs and framing propositional statements.

Results

Trial participants expressed interest in linking to clinic-based services at testing, but faced obstacles that eroded their initial enthusiasm. Follow-up support by lay counsellors intervened to restore interest and inspire action. Together, home HTC and follow-up support improved morale, created a desire to reciprocate, and provided reassurance that services were trustworthy. In different ways, these functions built links to the health service system. They worked to strengthen individuals’ general sense of capability, while making the idea of accessing services more manageable and familiar, thus reducing linkage barriers.

Conclusions

Home HTC with follow-up support leads to linkage by building “social bridges,” interpersonal connections established and developed through repeated face-to-face contact between counsellors and prospective users of HIV treatment and male circumcision services. Social bridges link communities to the service system, inspiring individuals to overcome obstacles and access care.

Factors associated with pre-ART loss-to-follow up in adults in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: a prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Timely initiation of antiretroviral treatment (ART) requires sustained engagement in HIV care before treatment eligibility. We assessed loss to follow-up (LTFU) correlates in HIV-positive adults accessing HIV treatment and care, not yet ART-eligible (CD4 >500 cells/mm(3)).

METHODS

This was a sub-study of a prospective cohort study (focusing on sexual behaviour) in an area of high HIV prevalence and widespread ART availability in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Psychosocial, clinical and demographic data were collected at recruitment from individuals with CD4 >500 cells/mm(3). LTFU was defined as not attending clinic within 13 months of last visit or before death. Individuals starting ART were censored at ART initiation. Data were collected between January 2009 and January 2013. Analysis used Competing Risks regression.

RESULTS

Two hundred forty-seven individuals (212 females) were recruited (median follow-up 2.13 years, total follow-up 520.15 person-years). 86 remained in pre-ART care (34.8 %), 94 were LTFU (38.1 %), 58 initiated ART (23.5 %), 7 died (2.8 %), 2 transferred out (0.8 %). The LTFU rate was 18.07 per 100 person-years (95 % CI 14.76-21.12). LTFU before a competing event was 13.5 % at one and 34.4 % at three years. Lower LTFU rates were significantly associated with age (>37 versus ≤37 years: adjusted sub-Hazard ratio (aSHR) 0.51, 95 % CI 0.30-0.87), openness with family/friends (a little versus not at all, aSHR 0.81, 95 % CI 0.45-1.43; a lot versus not at all, aSHR 1.57, 95 % CI 0.94-2.62), children (0 versus 4+, aSHR 0.68, 95 % CI 0.24-1.87; 1 versus 4+, aSHR 2.05 95 % CI 1.14-3.69, 2 versus 4+; aSHR 1.71, 95 % CI 0.94-3.09; 3 versus 4a, aSHR 1.14, 95 % CI 0.57-2.30), previous CD4 counts (1 versus 0, aSHR 0.81, 95 % CI 0.45-1.43; 2+ versus 0, aSHR 0.43, 95 % CI 0.25-0.73), and most recent partner HIV status (not known versus HIV-positive, aSHR 0.77, 95 % CI 0.50-1.19; HIV-negative versus HIV-positive, aSHR 2.40, 95 % CI 1.18-4.88). The interaction between openness with family/friends and HIV partner disclosure was close to significance (p = 0.06). Those who had neither disclosed to partners nor were open with family/friends had lowest LTFU rates.

CONCLUSIONS

Strategies to retain younger people in pre-ART care are required. How openness with others, partner HIV status and disclosure, and children relate to LTFU needs further exploration.