Abstract
Background: Health care workers (HWs) support HIV positive children and adolescents with detectable HIV viral loads on the intensive adherence counselling (IAC) program to achieve viral suppression through individual adherence counselling. Low re-suppression rates of 23% showed low program effectiveness in fifteen public health facilities.
 Objectives: We set out to determine the knowledge and perceptions of HWs that support this program to improve its effectiveness.
 Methods: We conducted a qualitative study where five HWs that oversee clinical care for children on ART were interviewed about the program. Data on their knowledge of the program, and perceptions on why it was not effective was collected. Thematic analysis using the inductive approach was used. Transcripts were read, coded and emergent themes determined.
 Results: Five HWs participated and all were knowledgeable about the program. Two themes emerged as barriers to IAC program effectiveness, patient factors and health system factors. Patient factors were failure to attend appointments, failure to change adherence practices, and lack of consent. Health system factors were work overload, delay in getting results and drug stock outs.
 Conclusion: HWs are knowledgeable about the IAC program and client specific barriers should be addressed to improve viral suppression for children.
 Keywords: Intensive adherence counselling; health care worker barriers.
Highlights
For a person living with HIV to benefit from anti-retroviral therapy (ART), they must be able to achieve HIV viral suppression 1
An assessment of this intervention in 15 high volume public health sites in Uganda showed that only 77% of non-suppressed children received all three intensive adherence counselling (IAC) sessions and 79% of these got a repeat HIV viral load test
This study is part of a mixed methods study that was evaluating the viral suppression for those children and adolescents that took part in the intensive adherence program recommended by World Health Organization (WHO) in Kampala, Uganda[9]
Summary
For a person living with HIV to benefit from anti-retroviral therapy (ART), they must be able to achieve HIV viral suppression 1. Children and adolescents living with HIV have been shown to have lower levels of viral suppression usually due to poor adherence[2, 3] Psychosocial factors such as dependence on a caregiver, non-disclo-. Set out to find out the knowledge, and perceptions of health workers that support the viral load program that could explain the findings in the assessment. Health care workers (HWs) support HIV positive children and adolescents with detectable HIV viral loads on the intensive adherence counselling (IAC) program to achieve viral suppression through individual adherence counselling. Methods: We conducted a qualitative study where five HWs that oversee clinical care for children on ART were interviewed about the program Data on their knowledge of the program, and perceptions on why it was not effective was collected.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call