Adherence to anti-retroviral drugs in pregnant and lactating HIV Positive women in Brazzaville

Abstract

Background : Anti-retroviral drugs reduce morbidity and mortality due to HIV and prevent transmission from mother to child. But compliance on anti-retroviral treatment is an essential element for the success of therapeutic goals. Objective : To assess the level of compliance of anti-retroviral treatment in pregnant and lactating HIV women and identify factors of non-compliance in Brazzaville. Design : An analytical and transversal study conducted in three specialised centres from March to June 2014. Setting : Three support centres for HIV patients in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo. Subjects : It had interested pregnant and lactating HIV women and having given consent. The variables studied were: socio-demographic, related to treatment and linked to the health system. Five statistic tests were used: Yates’ chi², Fisher, Student, Kruskal-Wallis and Bartlett. Results: One hundred and thirty patients were included, the mean age was 32 years, 92.3% had good education level, and 72.3% lived as couple. The adherence to antiretroviral treatment within seven days before the survey was 77.7%. Factors significantly influencing non-adherence were: ignorance of HIV status by the partner (RR = 2.10 (1.12 - 3.92)), traditional treatment (RR = 1.77 (0.92 - 3.41), forgetfulness to take drugs (RR = 5.10 (2.07 - 12.55), and discomfort with side effects (RR = 2.12 (1.13 - 3.95). Conclusion : Several factors influence the non-adherence of anti-retroviral treatment. Improving compliance with treatment requires multi-sectoral participation.