Acceptability and feasibility of home and hospital follow-up in Burkina Faso and Guinea: A mixed-method study among patients of the COVID-19 Coverage-Africa clinical trial.

Patient experiences and perspectives on trial participation and follow-up may influence their compliance with research procedures or negatively impact their well-being. We aimed to explore the acceptability and feasibility of home-based and hospital-based follow-up modalities among COVID-19 patients enrolled in the ANTICOV ANRS COV33 Coverage-Africa trial in Burkina Faso and Guinea. The trial (2021-2022) evaluated the efficacy of treatments to prevent clinical worsening among COVID-19 patients with mild to moderate symptoms.

Implementation and effectiveness of a linkage to HIV care intervention in rural South Africa (ANRS 12249 TasP trial).

Background: Timely linkage to care and ART initiation is critical to decrease the risks of HIV-related morbidity, mortality and HIV transmission, but is often challenging. We report on the implementation and effectiveness of a linkage-to-care intervention in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Methods: In the ANRS 12249 TasP trial on Universal Testing and Treatment (UTT) implemented between 2012-2016, resident individuals ≥16 years were offered home-based HIV testing every six months.

Perceptions of COVID-19 among communities of Conakry (Guinea): a qualitative study exploring the context of the ANRS COV33 Coverage-Africa therapeutic trial.

Objectives: To explore communities' perceptions about COVID-19 in the context of the ANRS COV33 Coverage-Africa clinical trial evaluating the efficacy of treatments in preventing clinical worsening of COVID-19.

Design: Descriptive qualitative study using semistructured in-depth individual interviews conducted by telephone in French and Soussou between May and September 2021. Data were transcribed, translated in French when applicable and analysed with the thematic analysis method.

Implementing an outpatient clinical trial on COVID-19 treatment in an emergency epidemic context: a mixed methods study among operational and research stakeholders within the Coverage trial, Bordeaux (France).

Background: The emergency set-up and implementation of outpatient clinical trials on epidemic emerging infectious diseases such as COVID-19 raise many issues in terms of research structuration, regulations, and health systems organization. We aimed to describe the experience and points of view of different stakeholders involved in a French home-based outpatient trial on COVID-19 and to identify the early barriers and facilitators to the trial implementation.

Methods: We conducted a mixed-methods study in July 2020.

Incidence of HIV infection and associated factors among female sex workers in Côte d'Ivoire, results of the ANRS 12361 PrEP-CI study using recent infection assays.

Background: This study aimed to estimate, using an HIV Recent Infection Testing Algorithm (RITA), the HIV incidence and its associated factors among female sex workers (FSW) in Côte d'Ivoire.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2016-2017 in Abidjan and San Pedro's region among FSW aged ≥ 18 years. In addition, a sociodemographic questionnaire, HIV screening was carried out by two rapid tests.

Early HIV treatment and survival over six years of observation in the ANRS 12249 Treatment as Prevention Trial.

Objectives: Population-based universal test and treat (UTT) trials have shown an impact on population-level virological suppression. We followed the ANRS 12249 TasP trial population for 6 years to determine whether the intervention had longer-term survival benefits.

Methods: The TasP trial was a cluster-randomized trial in South Africa from 2012 to 2016.

A community-based healthcare package combining testing and prevention tools, including pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), immediate HIV treatment, management of hepatitis B virus, and sexual and reproductive health (SRH), targeting female sex workers (FSWs) in Côte d'Ivoire: the ANRS 12381 PRINCESSE project.

Background: Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is recommended by the WHO for HIV prevention among female sex workers (FSWs). A study conducted in 2016-2017 in Côte d'Ivoire showed that if PrEP is acceptable, FSWs also have many uncovered sexual health needs. Based on this evidence, the ANRS 12381 PRINCESSE project was developed in collaboration with a community-based organization.

Test but not treat: Community members' experiences with barriers and facilitators to universal antiretroviral therapy uptake in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Introduction: Antiretroviral therapy (ART) has revolutionised the care of HIV-positive individuals resulting in marked decreases in morbidity and mortality, and markedly reduced transmission to sexual partners. However, these benefits can only be realised if individuals are aware of their HIV-positive status, initiated and retained on suppressive lifelong ART. Framed using the socio-ecological model, the present study explores factors contributing to poor ART uptake among community members despite high acceptance of HIV-testing within a Treatment as Prevention (TasP) trial.

Sexual health needs of female sex workers in Côte d'Ivoire: a mixed-methods study to prepare the future implementation of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention.

Objective: To describe sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs of female sex workers (FSWs) to inform the future implementation of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention in this population.

Design And Setting: The ANRS 12361 PrEP-CI cross-sectional and mixed-methods study was designed and implemented with two community-based organisations in Côte d'Ivoire.

Participants: A convenience sample of 1000 FSWs aged ≥18, not known as HIV-positive, completed a standardised questionnaire assessing sociodemographic characteristics, sexual practices, use of community health services and a priori acceptability of PrEP.

Temporal trends of population viral suppression in the context of Universal Test and Treat: the ANRS 12249 TasP trial in rural South Africa.

Introduction: The universal test-and-treat (UTT) strategy aims to maximize population viral suppression (PVS), that is, the proportion of all people living with HIV (PLHIV) on antiretroviral treatment (ART) and virally suppressed, with the goal of reducing HIV transmission at the population level. This article explores the extent to which temporal changes in PVS explain the observed lack of association between universal treatment and cumulative HIV incidence seen in the ANRS 12249 TasP trial conducted in rural South Africa.

Methods: The TasP cluster-randomized trial (2012 to 2016) implemented six-monthly repeat home-based HIV counselling and testing (RHBCT) and referral of PLHIV to local HIV clinics in 2 × 11 clusters opened sequentially.

"If you are here at the clinic, you do not know how many people need help in the community": Perspectives of home-based HIV services from health care workers in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa in the era of universal test-and-treat.

Background: Limited engagement in clinic-based care is affecting the HIV response. We explored the field experiences and perceptions of local health care workers regarding home-based strategies as opportunities to improve the cascade of care of people living with HIV in rural South Africa as part of a Universal Test-and-Treat approach.

Methods: In Hlabisa sub-district, home-based HIV services, including rapid HIV testing and counselling, and support for linkage to and retention in clinic-based HIV care, were implemented by health care workers within the ANRS 12249 Treatment-as-Prevention (TasP) trial.

The impact of population dynamics on the population HIV care cascade: results from the ANRS 12249 Treatment as Prevention trial in rural KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa).

Introduction: The universal test and treat strategy (UTT) was developed to maximize the proportion of all HIV-positive individuals on antiretroviral treatment (ART) and virally suppressed, assuming that it will lead to a reduction in HIV incidence at the population level. The evolution over time of the cross-sectional HIV care cascade is determined by individual longitudinal trajectories through the HIV care continuum and underlying population dynamics. The purpose of this paper is to quantify the contribution of each component of population change (in- and out-migration, HIV seroconversion, ageing into the cohort and definitive exit such as death) on the HIV care cascade in the context of the ANRS 12249 Treatment as Prevention (TasP) cluster-randomized trial, investigating UTT in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, between 2012 and 2016.

Couples HIV counselling and couple relationships in India, Georgia and the Dominican Republic.

Background: Couples HIV counseling and testing is essential for combination HIV prevention, but its uptake remains very low. We aimed to evaluate factors associated with couples HIV counseling uptake in India, Georgia and the Dominican Republic, as part of the ANRS 12127 Prenahtest intervention trial.

Methods: Pregnant women ≥15 years, attending their first antenatal care (ANC) session between March and September 2009, self-reporting a stable partner, and having received couple-oriented post-test HIV counseling (trial intervention) were included.

Implementing universal HIV treatment in a high HIV prevalence and rural South African setting - Field experiences and recommendations of health care providers.

Background: We aimed to describe the field experiences and recommendations of clinic-based health care providers (HCP) regarding the implementation of universal antiretroviral therapy (ART) in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Methods: In Hlabisa sub-district, the local HIV programme of the Department of Health (DoH) is decentralized in 18 clinics, where ART was offered at a CD4 count ≤500 cells/μL from January 2015 to September 2016. Within the ANRS 12249 TasP trial, implemented in part of the sub-district, universal ART (no eligibility criteria) was offered in 11 mobile clinics between March 2012 and June 2016.

Factors associated with antiretroviral treatment initiation amongst HIV-positive individuals linked to care within a universal test and treat programme: early findings of the ANRS 12249 TasP trial in rural South Africa.

Prompt uptake of antiretroviral treatment (ART) is essential to ensure the success of universal test and treat (UTT) strategies to prevent HIV transmission in high-prevalence settings. We describe ART initiation rates and associated factors within an ongoing UTT cluster-randomized trial in rural South Africa. HIV-positive individuals were offered immediate ART in the intervention arm vs.

Access to HIV care in the context of universal test and treat: challenges within the ANRS 12249 TasP cluster-randomized trial in rural South Africa.

Introduction: We aimed to quantify and identify associated factors of linkage to HIV care following home-based HIV counselling and testing (HBHCT) in the ongoing ANRS 12249 treatment-as-prevention (TasP) cluster-randomized trial in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Methods: Individuals ≥16 years were offered HBHCT; those who were identified HIV positive were referred to cluster-based TasP clinics and offered antiretroviral treatment (ART) immediately (five clusters) or according to national guidelines (five clusters). HIV care was also available in the local Department of Health (DoH) clinics.

Change of treatment guidelines and evolution of ART initiation in rural South Africa: data of a large HIV care and treatment programme.

Background: While WHO recommendations are to treat people earlier and earlier, it will considerably increase the number of HIV infected people eligible for antiretroviral therapy (ART). In South Africa, a country which carries one of the highest HIV burden worldwide, very few studies are available on the impact of the ART guidelines on time to ART initiation in both individuals with low CD4 count and those newly eligible for ART. We thus aimed to describe ART initiation percentages in a large HIV programme in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, according to the temporal changes of national ART eligibility guidelines from 2007 to 2012.

Retention in care prior to antiretroviral treatment eligibility in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review of the literature.

Objective: We aimed at summarising rates and factors associated with retention in HIV care prior to antiretroviral treatment (ART) eligibility in sub-Saharan Africa.

Design: We conducted a systematic literature review (2002-2014). We searched Medline/Pubmed, Scopus and Web of Science, as well as proceedings of conferences.

Continuum in HIV care from entry to ART initiation in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Objective: To quantify time from entry in HIV care until Antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation and identify factors associated with ART initiation in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Methods: Adults ≥16 years entering the decentralised Hlabisa ART programme between 2007 and 2011 were followed until June 2013. Median survival times to ART initiation from date of programme entry and from date of ART eligibility were estimated with Kaplan-Meier methods.

Increasing HIV testing among male partners.

Objective: Couple-oriented posttest HIV counselling (COC) provides pregnant women with tools and strategies to invite her partner to HIV counselling and testing. We conducted a randomized trial of the efficacy of COC on partner HIV testing in low/medium HIV prevalence settings (Cameroon, Dominican Republic, Georgia, India).

Methods: Pregnant women were randomized to receive standard posttest HIV counselling or COC and followed until 6 months postpartum.