Supporting Quality Data Systems: Lessons Learned from Early Implementation of Routine Viral Load Monitoring at a Large Clinic in Lilongwe, Malawi

Point-of-care viral load monitoring: outcomes from a decentralized HIV programme in Malawi

Introduction

Routinely monitoring the HIV viral load (VL) of people living with HIV (PLHIV) on anti‐retroviral therapy (ART) facilitates intensive adherence counselling and faster ART regimen switch when treatment failure is indicated. Yet standard VL‐testing in centralized laboratories can be time‐intensive and logistically difficult in low‐resource settings. This paper evaluates the outcomes of the first four years of routine VL‐monitoring using Point‐of‐Care technology, implemented by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in rural clinics in Malawi.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cohort analysis of patients eligible for routine VL‐ testing between 2013 and 2017 in four decentralized ART‐clinics and the district hospital in Chiradzulu, Malawi. We assessed VL‐testing coverage and the treatment failure cascade (from suspected failure (first VL>1000 copies/mL) to VL suppression post regimen switch). We used descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression to assess factors associated with suspected failure.

Results and Discussion

Among 21,400 eligible patients, VL‐testing coverage was 85% and VL suppression was found in 89% of those tested. In the decentralized clinics, 88% of test results were reviewed on the same day as blood collection, whereas in the district hospital the median turnaround‐time for results was 85 days. Among first‐line ART patients with suspected failure (N = 1544), 30% suppressed (VL<1000 copies/mL), 35% were treatment failures (confirmed by subsequent VL‐testing) and 35% had incomplete VL follow‐up. Among treatment failures, 80% (N = 540) were switched to a second‐line regimen, with a higher switching rate in the decentralized clinics than in the district hospital (86% vs. 67%, p < 0.01) and a shorter median time‐to‐switch (6.8 months vs. 9.7 months, p < 0.01). Similarly, the post‐switch VL‐testing rate was markedly higher in the decentralized clinics (61% vs. 26%, p < 0.01). Overall, 79% of patients with a post‐switch VL‐test were suppressed.

Conclusions

Viral load testing at the point‐of‐care in Chiradzulu, Malawi achieved high coverage and good drug regimen switch rates among those identified as treatment failures. In decentralized clinics, same‐day test results and shorter time‐to‐switch illustrated the game‐changing potential of POC‐based VL‐testing. Nevertheless, gaps were identified along all steps of the failure cascade. Regular staff training, continuous monitoring and creating demand are essential to the success of routine VL‐testing.

Programmatic mapping and size estimation of key populations to inform HIV programming in Tanzania

INTRODUCTION

A programmatic mapping and size estimation study was conducted in 24 districts in 5 regions of Tanzania to estimate the size and locations of female sex workers (FSW) and men who have sex with men (MSM) to inform the HIV programming for Key Populations.

METHODOLOGY

Data were collected at two levels: first, interviews were conducted with informants to identify venues where FSWs and MSM frequent. Secondly, the size of MSM and FSWs were estimated through interviews with FSWs, MSM and other informants at the venue. The venue estimates were aggregated to generate the ward level estimates. Correction factors were then applied to adjust for MSM/FSW counted twice or more, absent from the venues on the mapping day or remain online and hidden. The ward size estimates for mapped wards were extrapolated to non-mapped wards and aggregated to generate district and regional level estimates.

RESULTS

A total of 4,557 level I interviews were conducted. Further, 3,098 FSWs and 1,074 other informants at the FSWs venues and 558 MSM and 210 other informants at the MSM venues were interviewed during level II. The mapping survey identified 6,658 FSW, 1,099 FSW and MSM and 50 MSM venues in 75 wards. A total of 118,057 (range: 108,269 to 127,845) FSWs and 23,771 (range: 22,087 to 25,454) MSM were estimated in the study regions after extrapolation and accounting for correction factors. It was estimated that 5.6% and 1.3% of the female and male population of reproductive age (15-49 years old) could be FSWs and MSM in the study regions, respectively.

CONCLUSION

This study provides the baseline figures for planning, target setting and monitoring of the HIV intervention services in the study areas and geographic prioritisation of the response by allocating more resources to areas with a large number of FSWs and MSM.

Simplifying switch to second-line antiretroviral therapy in sub Saharan Africa: predicted effect of using a single viral load to define efavirenz-based first-line failure

Background:

Many individuals failing first-line antiretroviral therapy (ART) in sub-Saharan Africa never initiate second-line ART or do so after significant delay. For people on ART with a viral load more than 1000 copies/ml, the WHO recommends a second viral load measurement 3 months after the first viral load and enhanced adherence support. Switch to a second-line regimen is contingent upon a persistently elevated viral load more than 1000 copies/ml. Delayed second-line switch places patients at increased risk for opportunistic infections and mortality.

Methods:

To assess the potential benefits of a simplified second-line ART switch strategy, we use an individual-based model of HIV transmission, progression and the effect of ART which incorporates consideration of adherence and drug resistance, to compare predicted outcomes of two policies, defining first-line regimen failure for patients on efavirenz-based ART as either two consecutive viral load values more than 1000 copies/ml, with the second after an enhanced adherence intervention (implemented as per current WHO guidelines) or a single viral load value more than 1000 copies/ml. We simulated a range of setting-scenarios reflecting the breadth of the sub-Saharan African HIV epidemic, taking into account potential delays in defining failure and switch to second-line ART.

Findings:

The use of a single viral load more than 1000 copies/ml to define ART failure would lead to a higher proportion of persons with nonnucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitor resistance switched to second-line ART [65 vs. 48%; difference 17% (90% range 14–20%)], resulting in a median 18% reduction in the rate of AIDS-related death over setting scenarios (90% range 6–30%; from a median of 3.1 to 2.5 per 100 person-years) over 3 years. The simplified strategy also is predicted to reduce the rate of AIDS conditions by a median of 31% (90% range 8–49%) among people on first-line ART with a viral load more than 1000 copies/ml in the past 6 months. For a country of 10 million adults (and a median of 880 000 people with HIV), we estimate that this approach would lead to a median of 1322 (90% range 67–3513) AIDS deaths averted per year over 3 years. For South Africa this would represent around 10 215 deaths averted annually.

Interpretation:

As a step towards reducing unnecessary mortality associated with delayed second-line ART switch, defining failure of first-line efavirenz-based regimens as a single viral load more than 1000 copies/ml should be considered.