HIV Care Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Mixed-Methods Telephone Interviews with Clinic-Enrolled HIV-Infected Adults in Uganda

Abstract

COVID-19 measures that restrict movement may negatively impact access to HIV care and treatment. To contribute to the currently limited evidence, we used telephone interviews with quantitative and qualitative questions to examine how clients perceived COVID-19 and its effect on their HIV care and ART adherence. One hundred (n = 100) Ugandan adults on ART from an existing study were randomly selected and enrolled. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using descriptive statistics and rapid content analyses. 76% of clients indicated that COVID-19 negatively impacted travel to HIV clinics; 54% perceived that coming to the clinic increased their risk of acquiring COVID-19; and 14% said that COVID-19 had negatively impacted their ART adherence. Qualitative feedback suggests that fear of COVID-19 infection discouraged clinic attendance while stay-at-home orders helped routinize ART adherence and employ new community-based approaches for HIV care. Addressing negative unintended consequences of COVID-19 lockdowns on HIV care is urgently needed.

Sexual health (excluding reproductive health, intimate partner violence and gender-based violence) and COVID-19: a scoping review

“…18 52 People with HIV Nineteen studies assessed PLHIV. [54][55][56][57][58][59][60][61][62][63][64][65][66][67][68][69][70][71][72] Three modelling studies predicted a significant increase in HIV-related deaths in African countries due to treatment disruption with the pandemic. [61][62][63] A US retrospective observational quantitative study found that shelter-inplace orders had a negative impact on antiretroviral therapy adherence, especially among homeless PLHIV.…”

The role of economic, educational and social resources in supporting the use of digital health technologies by people with T2D: a qualitative study

“…The majority selected telephone interviews. Telephone interviews may have been more appealing to participants because of a perception of a higher degree of anonymity [40,41], while discussing sensitive issues and in the context of their diagnosis of a stigmatised condition [42,43]. Complete audio data was recorded for all interviews except one telephone interview where the rst 10 minutes were lost because the recording device malfunctioned.…”

Dispensing Antiretrovirals During Covid-19 Lockdown: Pathways to Health System Resilience in Uganda

“…'Lockdown' measures in Uganda had an immediate impact on HIV services particularly on access to ART re lls for the over 1.2 million Ugandans receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) [13], [14]. Recipients of HIV care could no longer make in-person visits to facilities for scheduled reviews or for accessing their medication re lls.…”

“…Recipients of HIV care could no longer make in-person visits to facilities for scheduled reviews or for accessing their medication re lls. Furthermore, 'lockdown' impeded the ongoing implementation of differentiated ART delivery models [14]. Since 2017, the Ministry of Health of Uganda has been implementing ve differentiated ART delivery models.…”

“…Since 2017, the Ministry of Health of Uganda has been implementing ve differentiated ART delivery models. These include community-based ART delivery through patient-led ART re lls delivery (Community Client-Led ART delivery or CCLAD) and Community Drug Distribution Points (CDDPs) [14], [15]. Less-intensive facility based ART delivery models include Fast Track Drug Re lls (FTDR), which entail a three to six-month supply of ART medicines (freed from clinical reviews) on visits by patients to facilities [14], [15].…”