Background: Zimbabwe is one of the countries in sub-Saharan Africa disproportionately affected by human immunodeficiency virus. In the “treat all” era, we assessed the gaps in routine viral load (VL) monitoring at six months for children (0-9 years) and adolescents (10-19 years) newly initiated on anti-retroviral therapy (ART) from January 2017 to September 2018 at a large tertiary hospital in Bulawayo. Methods: In this cohort study using secondary data, we considered first VL done within six to nine months of starting therapy as ‘undergoing VL test at six months’. We classified repeat VL≥1000 copies/ml despite enhanced adherence counselling as virally unsuppressed. Results: Of 295 patients initiated on ART, 196 (66%) were children and 99 (34%) adolescents. A total 244 (83%) underwent VL test at six months, with 161 (54%) virally suppressed, 52 (18%) unsuppressed and 82 (28%) with unknown status (due to losses in the cascade). Switch to second line was seen in 35% (18/52). When compared to children, adolescents were less likely to undergo a VL test at six months (73% versus 88%, p=0.002) and more likely to have an unknown VL status (40% versus 22%, p=0.001). Conclusion: At six months of ART, viral suppression was low and losses in the cascade high.

Setting: There is little information about the diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in people living with HIV (PLHIV) in Zimbabwe despite recommendations that tenofovir (TDF) + lamivudine (3TC) is the most effective nucleoside/nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) backbone of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in those with dual infection.Objective: To determine 1) numbers screened for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg); 2) numbers diagnosed HBsAg-positive along with baseline characteristics; and 3) NRTI backbones used among PLHIV initiating first-line ART at Mpilo Opportunistic Infections Clinic, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, between October 2017 and April 2019.Design: This was a cross-sectional study using routinely collected data.Results: Of the 422 PLHIV initiating first-line ART (median age 34 years, IQR 25–43), 361 (85%) were screened for HBV, with 10% being HBsAg-positive. HBsAg positivity was significantly associated with anaemia (adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR] 2.3, 95%CI 1.1–4.7) and elevated ala-nine transaminase levels (aPR 2.9, 95%CI 1.5–5.8). Of 38 PLHIV who were diagnosed HBsAg-positive, 30 (79%) were started on ART based on tenofovir (TDF) and lamivudine (3TC), seven were given abacavir (ABC) + 3TC-based ART and one was given zido vudine (ZDV) + 3TC-based ART.Conclusion: In PLHIV, HBV screening worked well, the prevalence of HIV-HBV co-infection was high and most patients received appropriate treatment for both conditions. Recommendations to improve screening, diagnosis and treatment of HIV-HBV co-infection are discussed.

Introduction: Health care workers (HCWs), especially from sub-Saharan Africa, are at risk of occupational exposure to HIV. Post exposure prophylaxis (PEP) can reduce this risk. There is no published information from Zimbabwe, a high HIV burden country, about how PEP works. We therefore assessed how the PEP programme performed at the Parirenyatwa Hospital, Harare, Zimbabwe, from 2017-2018. Methodology: This was a cohort study using secondary data from the staff clinic paper-based register. The chi square test and relative risks were used to assess associations. Results: There were 154 HCWs who experienced occupational injuries. The commonest group was medical doctors (36%) and needle sticks were the most frequent type of occupational injury (74%). The exposure source was identified in 114 (74%) occupational injuries: 91% of source patients were HIV-tested and 77% were HIV-positive. All but two HCWs were HIV-tested, 148 were eligible for PEP and 142 (96%) started triple therapy, all within 48 hours of exposure. Of those starting PEP, 15 (11%) completed 28 days, 13 (9%) completed < 28 days and in the remainder PEP duration was not recorded. There were no HCW characteristics associated with not completing PEP. Of those starting PEP, 9 (6%) were HIV-tested at 6-weeks, 3 (2%) were HIV-tested at 3-months and 1 (< 1%) was HIV-tested at 6-months: all HIV-tests were negative. Conclusions: While uptake of PEP was timely and high, the majority of HCWs failed to complete the 28-day treatment course and even fewer attended for follow-up HIV-tests. Various changes are recommended to promote awareness of PEP and improve adherence to guidelines.