| dc.description.abstract | Tuberculosis (TB) is the most common opportunistic infection and the leading cause of death in people living with HIV (PLHIV). People living with HIV are at a higher risk of TB infection and disease compared to those without HIV. Isoniazid preventive therapy (IPT) is an effective intervention in preventing progression of latent TB infection to active TB. The World Health Organization (WHO) currently recommends that all people living with HIV in whom active TB has been excluded should receive a 6-months course of IPT as part of a comprehensive package of HIV care. Despite this recommendation, the uptake of IPT among PLHIV has been suboptimal globally. This study sought to determine the rate and factors affecting IPT initiation and completion among PLHIV and receiving ART from China Uganda friendship Hospital-Naguru (CUFH-N)) Which is a very large HIV care centre, in Uganda.
Objectives:
The aim of this study was to determine the rates of IPT initiation(uptake) and completion among people living with HIV taking ART from CUFH-N, Uganda, and explore the factors affecting IPT initiation (uptake) and completion in that population as perceived by the healthcare providers.
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Methodology:
A retrospective cross-sectional study comprising of quantitative and qualitative study designs was conducted at China Uganda Friendship Hospital-Naguru ART Clinic. The study collected data from IPT registers at the clinic and files of PLHIV enrolled for HIV between January 2019 and December 2020. Systematic sampling procedure was used to select the patient’s files and a sample size 385 was used as determined by Kish and Leslie’s formula 1965. The quantitative data was analysed using strata version 13.
Qlalitative data analysed thematically using Braun and Clarke’s six phase frame work. Transcripts were read several times to identify themes and subthemes. Preliminary codes were generated to describe the content, themes identified, reviewed and defined and coded. Selected voice codes were used to present results.
Results:
IPT initiation among PLHIV Receiving ART from CUFH-N was low (24.05%) while the averge treatment completion rate was low (57.0%). Stock outs, pill burden, fear of adverse drug reaction, and lack of an integrated follow up and evaluation system for IPT besides the IPT Register were the major barriers to completion of IPT and the main motivation to IPT completion was the patients understanding and motive towards the prophylaxis treatment.
Conclusion:
The IPT uptake in this study was low and fell short of the set global target of > 90%. The average completion rate too was equally low (57.0%) and below the 89.0% completion rate reported by in the same year (2020) by Senlahire et al, 2020. There is an urgent need to address the identified barriers such as pill burden, lack of proper follow up system between refill schedules and lack of knowledge of IPT benefits by patients. | en_US |
