Abstract:
Background
Key and Priority populations in Tanzania have high HIV prevalence compared to the national HIV prevalence with variation as per group 26%, 25%, and 36 % for FSW, MSM and PWID respectively. KPPs living with HIV and having poor adherence to care result in negative health outcomes and treatment-resistant strains of the virus. Therefore, it is important for KPPs to test for HIV, prevent HIV transmission, and suppress the virus through adherence to treatment and retention in care.
Aim:
The aim was to understand the proportion of KPP retained in care for six and twelve months after ART initiation and factors associated with retention on care among KPP in Chato DC, Geita Region - Tanzania.
Methodology:
A retrospective cohort study design was conducted by reviewing CTC IDs from Data Base of KPPs initiated on ART between January 2022 and June 2022 at 15 government health facilities, with the sample size of 384.
Results:
The study found 87.9% having good retention at 6-month visit, and at 12-month visit 81.5% were able to attend all visit to the CTC. OVP were having 88.6% higher retention rate at six-month visit compared to other vulnerable population, followed by AGYW and FSW. At 12-month visit the retention rate dropped by almost 10% for FSW, while in other KPP they dropped for almost 5%. Factors associated with retention in care among HIV-positive KPP on ART were clinical factors where majority 62.1% were in first stage of the WHO, and out of 384 clients who were having viral load test during the study 356(92.7%) were suppressed. More than three quarters of the study client were missing CD4 count results, for those who were having CD4 count results, more than half 40(52.6%) were having CD4 count of less the 500 cell/mm3.
Conclusion:
Majority of female were having good retention rate at six-month visit, almost the same proportion of retention rate occurred in the 12-month visit. There is little decrease in retention rate among FSW at six- and twelve-month visit, while hospital level based clients were more likely to have poor retention rate than dispensary level clients.
