Quality of care in a differentiated HIV service delivery intervention in Tanzania: A mixed-methods study.

Background: Differentiated service delivery (DSD) offers benefits to people living with HIV (improved access, peer support), and the health system (clinic decongestion, efficient service delivery). ART clubs, 15-30 clients who usually meet within the community, are one of the most common DSD options. However, evidence about the quality of care (QoC) delivered in ART clubs is still limited.

The Shinyanga Patient: A Patient's Journey through HIV Treatment Cascade in Rural Tanzania.

The 2016-2017 Tanzania HIV Impact Survey (THIS) reported the accomplishments towards the 90-90-90 global HIV targets at 61-94-87, affirming the need to focus on the first 90 (i.e., getting 90% of people living with HIV (PLHIV) tested).

HIV care and treatment models and their association with medication possession ratio among treatment-experienced adults in three African countries.

Objective: How clinics structure the delivery of antiretroviral therapy (ART) services may influence patient adherence. We assessed the relationship between models of HIV care delivery and adherence as measured by medication possession ratio (MPR) among treatment-experienced adults in Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

Methods: Eighteen clinics were grouped into three models of HIV care.

Insights From a Text Messaging-Based Sexual and Reproductive Health Information Program in Tanzania (m4RH): Retrospective Analysis.

Background: Many mobile health (mHealth) interventions have the potential to generate and store vast amounts of system-generated participant interaction data that could provide insight into user engagement, programmatic strengths, and areas that need improvement to maximize efficacy. However, despite the popularity of mHealth interventions, there is little documentation on how to use these data to monitor and improve programming or to evaluate impact.

Objective: This study aimed to better understand how users of the Mobile for Reproductive Health (m4RH) mHealth intervention engaged with the program in Tanzania from September 2013 to August 2016.

Identifying models of HIV care and treatment service delivery in Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia using cluster analysis and Delphi survey.

Background: Organization of HIV care and treatment services, including clinic staffing and services, may shape clinical and financial outcomes, yet there has been little attempt to describe different models of HIV care in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Information about the relative benefits and drawbacks of different models could inform the scale-up of antiretroviral therapy (ART) and associated services in resource-limited settings (RLS), especially in light of expanded client populations with country adoption of WHO's test and treat recommendation.

Methods: We characterized task-shifting/task-sharing practices in 19 diverse ART clinics in Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia and used cluster analysis to identify unique models of service provision.

Trends in Prevalence of Advanced HIV Disease at Antiretroviral Therapy Enrollment - 10 Countries, 2004-2015.

Monitoring prevalence of advanced human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease (i.e., CD4+ T-cell count <200 cells/μL) among persons starting antiretroviral therapy (ART) is important to understand ART program outcomes, inform HIV prevention strategy, and forecast need for adjunctive therapies.

Persons living with HIV infection on antiretroviral therapy also consulting traditional healers: a study in three African countries.

Traditional healers provide healthcare to a substantial proportion of people living with HIV infection (PLHIV) in high HIV burden countries in sub-Saharan Africa. However, the impact on the health of retained patients visiting traditional healers is unknown. In 2011, a study to asses adherence to anti-retroviral therapy (ART) performed in 18 purposefully selected HIV treatment centers in Tanzania, Zambia and Uganda showed that 'consulting a traditional healer/herbalist because of HIV' was an independent risk factor for incomplete ART adherence.

Reasons for Missing Antiretroviral Therapy: Results from a Multi-Country Study in Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.

Objectives: To identify the reasons patients miss taking their antiretroviral therapy (ART) and the proportion who miss their ART because of symptoms; and to explore the association between symptoms and incomplete adherence.

Methods: Secondary analysis of data collected during a cross-sectional study that examined ART adherence among adults from 18 purposefully selected sites in Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. We interviewed 250 systematically selected patients per facility (≥ 18 years) on reasons for missing ART and symptoms they had experienced (using the HIV Symptom Index).

Lower Levels of Antiretroviral Therapy Enrollment Among Men with HIV Compared with Women - 12 Countries, 2002-2013.

Equitable access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) for men and women with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is a principle endorsed by most countries and funding bodies, including the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) Relief (PEPFAR) (1).

Incomplete adherence among treatment-experienced adults on antiretroviral therapy in Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

Objectives: To characterize antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence across different programmes and examine the relationship between individual and programme characteristics and incomplete adherence among ART clients in sub-Saharan Africa.

Design: A cross-sectional study.

Methods: Systematically selected ART clients (≥18 years; on ART ≥6 months) attending 18 facilities in three countries (250 clients/facility) were interviewed.

Antiretroviral therapy enrollment characteristics and outcomes among HIV-infected adolescents and young adults compared with older adults--seven African countries, 2004-2013.

Although scale-up of antiretroviral therapy (ART) since 2005 has contributed to declines of about 30% in the global annual number of human immunodeficiency (HIV)-related deaths and declines in global HIV incidence, estimated annual HIV-related deaths among adolescents have increased by about 50% and estimated adolescent HIV incidence has been relatively stable. In 2012, an estimated 2,500 (40%) of all 6,300 daily new HIV infections occurred among persons aged 15-24 years. Difficulty enrolling adolescents and young adults in ART and high rates of loss to follow-up (LTFU) after ART initiation might be contributing to mortality and HIV incidence in this age group, but data are limited.

Retention and risk factors for attrition among adults in antiretroviral treatment programmes in Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

Objectives: We assessed retention and predictors of attrition (recorded death or loss to follow-up) in antiretroviral treatment (ART) clinics in Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study among adults (≥18 years) starting ART during 2003-2010. We purposefully selected six health facilities per country and randomly selected 250 patients from each facility.