Factors Affecting Anti-retroviral Therapy Adherence Among HIV Positive Children Attending Wollega University Referral Hospital, ART, Nekemte, West Ethiopia, 2019

Abstract

Since the introduction of Antiretroviral Treatments, morbidity and mortality due to HIV/AIDS have been significantly reduced. Through successful prevention of mother-to-child transmission programs, developed countries face few new cases of infant HIV infection annually; however, as a result of successful ART use, children are surviving into adolescence and struggling with many adherence challenges associated with long-term therapy. This study aims to assess factors affecting child antiretroviral treatment adherence at WollegaUniversity Medical Center anti-retroviral therapy clinic. To assess factors that affect child ART adherence among HIV positive children attending Wollega University Referral hospital ART clinic, Nekemte, West Ethiopia, 2019. Cross sectional study design was conducted from March to May/2019 among HIV positive children on ART who have follow-up at Wollega University medical anti-retroviral therapy clinic. Data was collected by interviewing of the care givers of the child using a structured questionnaire. The collected data wascleaned, coded, and analyzed by manual and calculator, and the results found wascompared with findings in the area and aboard, then appropriate conclusions and recommendations wasgiven. Among the 80 study participants, 30 (37.5%) took medications other than ARD. Out of this, 20 (25%) of them took one other tablet per day and the rest were taking two to four other tablets per day. The study showed that the majority (96.3%) of the children had a near perfect (>95%) adherence rate. There were limited researches done in the study area on adherence rate and no research was found describing the national adherence rate.