1. Adherence to antiretroviral therapy among HIV-1 patients from sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review.
- Author
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Almeida, Pedro R.S., Rafael, Carlos A.C., Pimentel, Victor, Abecasis, Ana B., Sebastião, Cruz S., and Morais, Joana de
- Subjects
ANTIRETROVIRAL agents ,PATIENT compliance ,HIV ,HIV-positive persons - Abstract
More than two decades after introducing antiretroviral therapy (ART), several challenges still prevail in keeping well people living with HIV, even with Test and Treat and/or Rapid Start of ART initiatives, as well as the scale-up of ART worldwide to promote access and adherence to treatment. This review examined articles on ART adherence in Africa between 2016 and 2023, published in English and indexed in PubMed. A total of 16 articles out of 2415 were eligible and included for analyses. Overall, good ART adherence rates in sub-Saharan African (SSA) regions ranged from 43% to 84%. Rates in the center of the SSA region ranged from 58% to 80%, in the north from 50% to 83%, in the south from 77% to 84%, in the west from 43% to 60%, and in the east from 69% to 73%. Most African countries use self-reporting to assess treatment adherence, which is frequently unreliable. The main factors with negative influence on ART adherence were comorbidities, lack of motivation, socioeconomic difficulties, or side effects. Conclusion: Adherence to ART is a good indicator for controlling the spread of HIV in a given region. It is important to overcome the barriers that make it difficult to comply with ART and reinforce the factors that facilitate access to medication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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