Background: Stigma affects persons living with HIV in myriad ways, including mental health, adherence to antiretroviral therapy, and retention in care, and may manifest at inter- and intra-personal levels. Youth are particularly vulnerable; those in vulnerable groups may experience multiple stigmas. In Vietnam, new HIV infections are rising among men in young age groups.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe assessed an intervention aimed at improving adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) among pregnant and postpartum women living with HIV (PPWLH). We randomized 133 pregnant women initiating ART in Uganda to receive text reminders generated by real time-enabled electronic monitors and data-informed counseling through 3 months postpartum (PPM3) or standard care. Intention-to-treat analyses found low adherence levels and no intervention impact.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe explored the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on people living with HIV (PLHIV) in Vietnam. In June 2020, we interviewed 32 PLHIV who identified as men who have sex with men, persons who inject drugs, female sex workers, or transgender after Vietnam's strict quarantine period. While most participants were knowledgeable regarding COVID-19 transmission and prevention, COVID-19 was perceived more as a threat to individual rather than community health.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Uganda has successfully reduced pediatric HIV infections through prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) programs, yet little is known about adherence to infant-specific components of interventions. We hypothesized that infants born to mothers receiving the WiseMama (WM) electronic drug monitoring (EDM)-based adherence intervention would have increased uptake of six-week post-natal nevirapine (NVP) infant prophylaxis and better adherence to six-week early infant diagnosis (EID) HIV testing.
Methods: At two sites in Uganda, the Wise Infant Study (WIN) prospectively followed an infant cohort.
We tested an intervention that aimed to increase retention in antiretroviral therapy (ART) among HIV-positive pregnant and postpartum women, a population shown to be vulnerable to poor ART outcomes. 133 pregnant women initiating ART at 2 hospitals in Uganda used real time-enabled wireless pill monitors (WPM) for 1 month, and were then randomized to receive text message reminders (triggered by late dose-taking) and data-informed counseling through 3 months postpartum or standard care. We assessed "full retention" (proportion attending all monthly clinic visits and delivering at a study facility; "visit retention" (proportion of clinic visits attended); and "postpartum retention" (proportion retained at 3 months postpartum).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The "treatment gap" (TG) for mental disorders, widely advocated by the WHO in low-and middle-income countries, is an important indicator of the extent to which a health system fails to meet the care needs of people with mental disorder at the population level. While there is limited research on the TG in these countries, there is even a greater paucity of studies looking at TG beyond a unidimensional understanding. This study explores several dimensions of the TG construct for people with psychosis in Sodo, a rural district in Ethiopia, and its implications for building a more holistic capacity for mental health services.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: In 2014, Vietnam was the first Southeast Asian country to commit to achieving the World Health Organization's 90-90-90 global HIV targets (90% know their HIV status, 90% on sustained treatment, and 90% virally suppressed) by 2020. This pledge represented further confirmation of Vietnam's efforts to respond to the HIV epidemic, one feature of which has been close collaboration with the U.S.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The overall goal of the Supporting Adolescent Adherence in Vietnam (SAAV) study is to improve understanding of an adherence feedback mHealth intervention designed to help adolescents living with HIV (ALHIV) maintain high adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART), critical to effective treatment. Specifically, we aim to: (1) conduct formative research with Vietnamese ALHIV and their caregivers to better understand adherence challenges and refine the personalized mHealth intervention package; and (2) assess the feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of the intervention to improve ART adherence by implementing a randomized controlled trial (RCT).
Methods: The study will utilize mixed methods.
Background And Objectives: With increasing access to antiretroviral therapy, HIV-infected youth are living longer, but are vulnerable as they navigate the transition to adulthood while managing a highly stigmatized condition. Knowing one's HIV status is critical to assuming responsibility for one's health. The process of disclosure to adolescents living with HIV is not well understood globally, even less so in China.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Research suggests that men who have sex with men (MSM) often engage in high-risk sex and use illicit substances.
Objective: To increase understanding of HIV knowledge and vulnerability among adolescent and young adult MSM, with a focus on alcohol and drug use and transactional sex.
Methods: We conducted in-depth interviews and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with adolescent (aged 15-17 years) and young adult (aged 18-29 years) MSM in Kumasi, Ghana.
The Amajuba Child Health and Wellbeing Research Project measured the impact of orphaning due to HIV/AIDS on South African households between 2004 and 2007. Community engagement was a central component of the project and extended through 2010. We describe researcher engagement with the community to recruit participants, build local buy-in, stimulate interest in study findings, and promote integration of government social welfare services for families and children affected by HIV/AIDS.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Few Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) adherence trials investigate the reasons for intervention success or failure among HIV-positive individuals.
Objectives: To conduct qualitative research to explore the reasons for effectiveness of a 6-month mHealth (mobile health) trial that improved adherence among ART patients in China. The intervention utilized Wireless Pill Containers (WPCs) to provide, real-time SMS reminders, WPC-generated adherence reports, and report-informed counseling.
Background: Grand Challenges for international health and development initiatives have received substantial funding to tackle unsolved problems; however, evidence of their effectiveness in achieving change is lacking. A theory of change may provide a useful tool to track progress towards desired outcomes. The Saving Lives at Birth partnership aims to address inequities in maternal-newborn survival through the provision of strategic investments for the development, testing and transition-to-scale of ground-breaking prevention and treatment approaches with the potential to leapfrog conventional healthcare approaches in low resource settings.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Scaling up mental healthcare through integration into primary care remains the main strategy to address the extensive unmet mental health need in low-income countries. For integrated care to achieve its goal, a clear understanding of the organisational processes that can promote and hinder the integration and delivery of mental health care is essential. Theory of Change (ToC), a method employed in the planning, implementation and evaluation of complex community initiatives, is an innovative approach that has the potential to assist in the development of a comprehensive mental health care plan (MHCP), which can inform the delivery of integrated care.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAdherence to antiretroviral medications is usually expressed in terms of the proportion of doses taken. However, the timing of doses taken may also be an important dimension to overall adherence. Little is known about whether patients who mistime doses are also more likely to skip doses.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHealth Aff (Millwood)
September 2014
Globally, the majority of people with mental health problems do not receive evidence-based interventions that can transform their lives. We describe six mental health policy actions adopted at the World Innovation Summit for Health in 2013. For each policy action, we offer real-world examples of mental health innovations that governments and health care providers can implement to move toward universal health coverage for mental health.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe compared demographics, socioeconomic status, and food insecurity between households with and without recent orphans in a region of high HIV/AIDS mortality in South Africa. We recruited a cohort of 197 recent orphans and 528 non-orphans ages 9-15 and their households using stratified cluster sampling. Households were classified into three groups: orphan-only (N=50); non-orphan-only (N=377); and mixed (N=210).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEffective antiretroviral therapy (ART) requires excellent adherence. Little is known about how to improve ART adherence in many HIV/AIDS-affected countries, including China. We therefore assessed an adherence intervention among HIV-positive patients in southwestern China.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLittle is known about the importance of dose timing to successful antiretroviral therapy (ART). In a cohort comprised of Chinese HIV/AIDS patients, we measured adherence among subjects for 6 months using three methods in parallel: self-report using a visual analog scale (SR-VAS), pill count, and electronic drug monitors (EDM). We calculated two adherence metrics using the EDM data.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlthough China's government is rapidly expanding access to antiretroviral therapy, little is known about barriers to adherence among Chinese HIV-infected patients, particularly among injection drug users. To better understand barriers to antiretroviral treatment adherence, we conducted a qualitative research study, using both focus group and key informant methods, among 36 HIV-positive men and women in Dali, in southwestern China. All interviews utilized semi-structured question guides and were conducted in Mandarin, audio-recorded and translated into English for analysis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: Little is known about how antiretroviral therapy (ART) affects patients' economic activities in resource-constrained settings. This study examined the association of ART with functional impairment, symptom prevalence, and employment during the first 6 months on therapy.
Methods: Interviews were conducted with 453 patients receiving pre-ART care and 427 patients on ART for 1-6 months in South Africa.
J Int Assoc Physicians AIDS Care (Chic)
February 2009
Little is known about the characteristics of patients accessing antiretroviral therapy (ART) in South Africa. In a random sample of 1069 pre-ART and ART patients attending an urban public hospital, a periurban nongovernmental organization (NGO) clinic, and a rural NGO clinic, 79% were female; average age was 34 for women and 37 for men. Two thirds reported having 1 long-term partner, but most did not live with their partner.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To determine whether differences in wellbeing (defined by a variety of education and health outcomes) exist between recent school-aged orphans and non-orphans who live in the same household in a context of high HIV/AIDS mortality in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa.
Design: The data come from the first 2 years (2004-2006) of an ongoing 3-year longitudinal cohort study in a district in KwaZulu-Natal, the Amajuba Child Health and Well-being Research Project. Using stratified cluster sampling based on school and age, we constructed a cohort of 197 recent orphans and 528 non-orphans aged 9-16 years and their households and caregivers.
Background: South Africa is providing antiretroviral (ARV) drugs for HIV/AIDS free of charge in order to increase access for poorer patients and promote adherence. However, non-drug costs of obtaining treatment may limit access. We estimated the costs that South African patients incur in obtaining antiretroviral therapy (ART).
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