Abstract
Background
To meet the ambitious goal of eradicating the HIV epidemic by 2030, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS has set 95-95-95 targets. These targets aim for 95% of HIV-infected individuals to know their status, 95% to initiate antiretroviral therapy (ART), and 95% to achieve virologic suppression by 2030. In Ethiopia, progress towards these targets has been made, but challenges persist. This study aims to evaluate same-day ART initiation status regarding retention of patients in HIV/AIDS care at the healthcare facility level in Ethiopia.
Methods
A cross-sectional study design was conducted involving retrospective document analysis of 332 clinical records. The study included clinical records of patients initiated on same-day ART from the 1st of October 2017 until the 30th of October 2019. Data was analyzed quantitatively, descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were performed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 28.0 software. Data analysis involved conducting logistic regression to examine the relationships between factors associated with retention in HIV care.
Results
The results indicated varying retention rates over different time intervals: 35% at 6 months (n = 49), 81% at 12 months (n = 50), 89% from 13 to 18 months (n = 63), and 94% at 24 months (n = 34), with an overall retention in HIV/Care at 59% (n = 196). The study’s logistic regression analysis revealed that gender has a significant effect on retention (β = 2.890, p < 0.01), tertiary education was 0.2 times greater than no formal education, that is, (β = 0.212, p < 0.05), tertiary education was 0.13 times more than a secondary education, which is (β = 0.131, p < 0.01), patients who reside in urban areas were more likely to be retained than those who reside in rural areas, that is, (β = 0.467, p < 0.05), patients with a good level of adherence were 0.1 times more likely to be retained in comparison to those with a fair level of adherence (β = 0.092, p < 0.01).
Conclusion
The study underscores the importance of same-day ART initiation in enhancing retention rates among patients in HIV/AIDS care in Ethiopia. Factors such as gender, education level, urban residence, adherence, functional status, and WHO stage significantly influence retention. Addressing these factors through targeted interventions is crucial for achieving sustained improvements in HIV care and advancing towards epidemic eradication goals by 2030.