%0 Journal Article
%T Evaluation of Adherence to Anti-Retroviral Treatment: Experience of SANRU, DRC
%J -
%D 2018
%X Access to antiretroviral treatment (ART) has substantially increased in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) over the past 5 years. Sant¨¦ Rural (SANRU), a non-governmental organization established by l¡¯Eglise de Christ du Congo (Christ¡¯s Church of the Congo) in the 1980s to improve rural health in the DRC, is one of the principal recipients of Global fund in DRC with around 40000 people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHIV) receiving ART in 129 health zones in the country. The continuous success of ART critically depends on sustained ART adherence. The objective of this study was to identify the determinants of adherence among PLWHIV in SANRU managed health zones in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Two thousand five hundred eighty-six PLWHIV¡¯s files were extracted. Eighty-two percent (82%) were adherent to ART, while 85. 5% were alive after 12 months on anti-retroviral treatment, 5.2% were lost from follow-up and 2.2% were transferred. The average age was 37 years, and predominantly women formed 65.5% of the sample. The median distance between facilities and patient¡¯s habitat was 5 kms. Close to three-fifth of the PLWHIV were living in urban settings (64.4%). Among 2586 patient¡¯s files retrieved, 2495 (96, 5%) were followed up in facilities with at least an HIV-care trained physician and nurses, 1566 (60.6%) were followed up in facilities with at least one HIV care trained pharmacist; 1645 (63.6%) among the PLWHIV did not report ART stock run-outs. These findings highlight the relevance of healthcare providers¡¯ training on HIV to improve HIV patient outcomes
%K ART
%K PLWHIV
%K Adherence
%K Evaluation
%U http://www.sciencepublishinggroup.com/journal/paperinfo?journalid=326&doi=10.11648/j.cajph.20180405.11