Describing Point of Entry into Care and Being Lost to Program in a Cohort of HIV Positive Pregnant Women in a Large Urban Centre in Uganda

Incidence and predictors of loss to follow-up among pregnant and lactating women in the Option B+ PMTCT program in Northwestern Ethiopia: a seven-year retrospective cohort study

Introduction

Although Ethiopia has implemented the Option B+ program over the past 7 years, loss to follow-up among HIV-positive women remains a major problem for antiretroviral therapy (ART) treatment. This study was conducted to investigate the number of women who dropped out of follow-up after the Option B+ program.

Methods

A retrospective follow-up study was conducted among 403 pregnant and lactating women between June 2013 and December 2019 at health facilities in Northwest Ethiopia. The Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to identify predictors of loss to follow-up. The results were reported as hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) at a significance level of p = 0.05.

Results

The overall incidence rate of loss to follow-up was 9.4 per 1,000 person-months of observation (95% CI: 7.40-11.90). According to the multivariable Cox regression, rural residency [adjusted hazard ratio (AHR): 2.30; 95% CI: 1.08-4.88], being a Muslim religion follower (AHR: 2.44; 95% CI: 1.23-4.81), having no baseline viral load measurement (AHR: 4.21; 95% CI: 2.23-7.96), being on ART before enrolment (AHR: 0.30; 95% CI: 0.15-0.62), having drug side effects (AHR:1.82; 95% CI: 1.01-3.33), same-day ART initiation (AHR: 3.23; 95% CI: 1.53-6.84), and having suboptimal adherence level (AHR: 3.96; 95% CI: 2.18-7.19) were significant predictors of loss to follow-up.

Conclusion

The incidence of loss to follow-up is lower as compared to evidence from most African countries but slightly higher than the WHO target. It is better to strengthen and expand viral load measurements for all women and to pay attention to women residing in rural areas with fair or poor adherence levels.

Patterns of engagement in HIV care during pregnancy and breastfeeding: findings from a cohort study in North-Eastern South Africa

BACKGROUND

Eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV (MTCT) in sub-Saharan Africa is hindered by limited understanding of HIV-testing and HIV-care engagement among pregnant and breastfeeding women.

METHODS

We investigated HIV-testing and HIV-care engagement during pregnancy and breastfeeding from 2014 to 2018 in the Agincourt Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS). We linked HIV patient clinic records to HDSS pregnancy data. We modelled time to a first recorded HIV-diagnosis following conception, and time to antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation following diagnosis using Kaplan-Meier methods. We performed sequence and cluster analyses for all pregnancies linked to HIV-related clinic data to categorise MTCT risk period engagement patterns and identified factors associated with different engagement patterns using logistic regression. We determined factors associated with ART resumption for women who were lost to follow-up (LTFU) using Cox regression.

RESULTS

Since 2014, 15% of 10,735 pregnancies were recorded as occurring to previously (51%) or newly (49%) HIV-diagnosed women. New diagnoses increased until 2016 and then declined. We identified four MTCT risk period engagement patterns (i) early ART/stable care (51.9%), (ii) early ART/unstable care (34.1%), (iii) late ART initiators (7.6%), and (iv) postnatal seroconversion/early, stable ART (6.4%). Year of delivery, mother's age, marital status, and baseline CD4 were associated with these patterns. A new pregnancy increased the likelihood of treatment resumption following LTFU.

CONCLUSION

Almost half of all pregnant women did not have optimal ART coverage during the MTCT risk period. Programmes need to focus on improving retention, and leveraging new pregnancies to re-engage HIV-positive women on ART.

Shifting to the long view: engagement of pregnant and postpartum women living with HIV in lifelong antiretroviral therapy services

Introduction: The advent of policies promoting lifelong antiretroviral therapy (ART) for all pregnant and postpartum women living with HIV has shifted focus from short-term prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) to lifelong engagement in ART services. However, disengagement from care threatens the long-term treatment and prevention benefits of lifelong ART. Areas covered: A framework for considering the unique aspects of ART for pregnant and postpartum women is presented along with a review of the literature on maternal engagement in care in sub-Saharan Africa and a discussion of potential interventions to sustain engagement in lifelong ART. Expert opinion: Engaging women and mothers in ART services for life is critical for maternal health, PMTCT, and prevention of sexual transmission. Evidence-based interventions exist to support engagement in care but most focus on periods of mother-to-child transmission risk. In the long term, life transitions and health-care transfers are inevitable. Thus, interventions that can reach beyond a single facility or provide a bridge between health services should be prioritized. Multicomponent interventions will also be essential to address the numerous intersecting barriers to sustained engagement in ART services.

Retention in HIV Care During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period in the Option B+ Era: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Studies in Africa

BACKGROUND

Under Option B+ guidelines for prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, pregnant and breastfeeding women initiate antiretroviral therapy for lifelong use. The objectives of this study were: (1) to synthesize data on retention in care over time in option B+ programs in Africa, and (2) to identify factors associated with retention in care.

METHODS

PubMed, EMBASE, and African Index Medicus were systematically searched from January 2012 to June 2017. Pooled estimates of the proportion of women retained were generated and factors associated with retention were analyzed thematically.

RESULTS

Thirty-five articles were included in the final review; 22 reported retention rates (n = 60,890) and 25 reported factors associated with retention. Pooled estimates of retention were 72.9% (95% confidence interval: 66.4% to 78.9%) at 6 months for studies reporting <12 months of follow-up and 76.4% (95% confidence interval: 69.0% to 83.1%) at 12 months for studies reporting ≥12 months of follow-up. Data on undocumented clinic transfers were largely absent. Risk factors for poor retention included younger age, initiating antiretroviral therapy on the same day as diagnosis, initiating during pregnancy versus breastfeeding, and initiating late in the pregnancy. Retention was compromised by stigma, fear of disclosure, and lack of social support.

CONCLUSIONS

Retention rates in prevention of mother-to-child transmission under option B+ were below those of the general adult population, necessitating interventions targeting the complex circumstances of women initiating care under option B+. Improved and standardized procedures to track and report retention are needed to accurately represent care engagement and capture undocumented transfers within the health system.

Predictors of postpartum HIV care engagement for women enrolled in prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) programs in Tanzania

Prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) is a foundational component of a comprehensive HIV treatment program. In addition to preventing vertical transmission to children, PMTCT is an important catch-point for universal test-and-treat strategies that can reduce community viral load and slow the epidemic. However, systematic reviews suggest that care engagement in PMTCT programs is sub-optimal. This study enrolled a cohort of 200 women initiating PMTCT in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, and followed them to assess HIV care engagement and associated factors. Six months after delivery, 42/200 (21%) of participants were identified as having poor care engagement, defined as HIV RNA >200 copies/mL or, if viral load was unavailable, being lost-to-follow-up in the clinical records or self-reporting being out of care. In a multivariable risk factor analysis, younger women were more likely to have poor postpartum care engagement; with each year of age, women were 7% less likely to have poor care engagement (aRR: 0.93; 95% CI: 0.89, 0.98). Additionally, women who had told at least one person about their HIV status were 47% less likely to have poor care engagement (aRR: .53; 95% CI: 0.29, 0.97). Among women who entered antenatal care with an established HIV diagnosis, those who were pregnant for the first time had increased risk of poor care engagement (aRR 4.16; 95% CI 1.53, 11.28). The findings suggest that care engagement remains a concern in PMTCT programs, and must be addressed to realize the goals of PMTCT. Comprehensive counseling on HIV disclosure, along with community-based stigma reduction programs to provide a supportive environment for people living with HIV, are crucial to address barriers to care engagement and support long-term treatment. Women presenting to antenatal care with an established HIV status require support for care engagement during the crucial period surrounding childbirth, particularly those pregnant for the first time.

Retention in HIV Care During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period in the Option B+ Era: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Studies in Africa

BACKGROUND

Under Option B+ guidelines for prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, pregnant and breastfeeding women initiate antiretroviral therapy for lifelong use. The objectives of this study were: (1) to synthesize data on retention in care over time in option B+ programs in Africa, and (2) to identify factors associated with retention in care.

METHODS

PubMed, EMBASE, and African Index Medicus were systematically searched from January 2012 to June 2017. Pooled estimates of the proportion of women retained were generated and factors associated with retention were analyzed thematically.

RESULTS

Thirty-five articles were included in the final review; 22 reported retention rates (n = 60,890) and 25 reported factors associated with retention. Pooled estimates of retention were 72.9% (95% confidence interval: 66.4% to 78.9%) at 6 months for studies reporting <12 months of follow-up and 76.4% (95% confidence interval: 69.0% to 83.1%) at 12 months for studies reporting ≥12 months of follow-up. Data on undocumented clinic transfers were largely absent. Risk factors for poor retention included younger age, initiating antiretroviral therapy on the same day as diagnosis, initiating during pregnancy versus breastfeeding, and initiating late in the pregnancy. Retention was compromised by stigma, fear of disclosure, and lack of social support.

CONCLUSIONS

Retention rates in prevention of mother-to-child transmission under option B+ were below those of the general adult population, necessitating interventions targeting the complex circumstances of women initiating care under option B+. Improved and standardized procedures to track and report retention are needed to accurately represent care engagement and capture undocumented transfers within the health system.

Challenges in Assessing Outcomes among Infants of Pregnant HIV-Positive Women Receiving ART in Uganda

Since 2012, the WHO recommends lifelong ART with TDF+FTC/3TC+EFV for all HIV-positive pregnant and breastfeeding women (Option B-plus). In this analysis we describe the proportion of early and late transmission in mothers with high retention in Kampala, Uganda. We included 700 pregnant women from January 2012 to August 2014 with a follow-up extended to August 2016; the median age was 31 years (IQR: 26-35), 36.3% in WHO stage 3/4; median CD4 count was 447 cells/μL (IQR: 301-651) and 73.3% were already on ART for a median time of 28 (IQR: 10-57) months; 52% infants were male and median weight was 3.2 Kg (IQR: 2.5-3.5). Five hundred and sixty-five (80.7%) infants had at least one test for HIV; 22 (3.1%) infants died, all with unknown serostatus; 3 tested positive at week 6 and one additional at months 12 and 18. Two of the mothers of the 4 HIV-positive infants were ART-naïve at the time of pregnancy. We report very low documented HIV transmission comparable with those reported in clinical trials settings; however, demonstrating the efficacy of Option B-plus in terms of averted transmission in routine settings is challenging since high proportion of infants do not have documented HIV tests.