| dc.description.abstract | Introduction
Despite tremendous gains in HIV treatment, accessibility and scale-up, initiation into care among
patients who test HIV positive remains low. Recent research (MOH, 2017; Andrew, 2017)
estimated that, Uganda had only about 64% of the 1.3 million HIV positive clients enrolled into
ART. At this rate of enrollment, it is unlikely that the country will attain the 90-90-90 UNAID
target by 2020. In Wakiso district, Uganda AIDS Commission (2016) estimated 570 girls and
young women aged 15 to 24 were getting infected with HIV every week, without statistics of the
incidence rates in the general district population, whose prevalence among the 2,007,700
population is at 10.6% (UBOS, 2017). This study was conducted to understand ART initiation
levels in outreaches where factors associated with ART initiation were to be determined.
Methodology
The study was cross-sectional that employed quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection
and analysis, data was analyzed using STATA. Binary logistic regression analysis was also used to
come up with the model with use of both crude and adjusted odds ratio to clearly deduce the actual
conclusion, this was selected since ART initiation (dependent variable) had two outcomes of yes
and No, where No was coded=0 and yes=1. Binary Logistic regression identified whether the
factors were significant or not on the dependent variable. During the analysis all the 3 of data
analysis types where employed; Multivariate analysis (use of Binary logistic regression), bivariate
analysis (use of cross tabulations) and univariate analysis were all applied. The sample was
purposively selected from the various outreaches among clients who tested positive
Results
This study interviewed 135 HIV positive patients from the outreaches, of which 91.8%(124/135)
were initiated on ART immediately following the test and treat guidelines, with a p-value of
0.2975, individual characteristics of respondents were not statistically significant at effecting ART
initiation, health facility factors did also not directly affect ART initiation with a p-value of 0.1673,
as well as social-cultural factors which had no significant effect on ART initiation among the
respondents with a p-value of 0.6906. In comparison with district ART initiation levels in the
period of April-June 2019, the district non-initiation level was at 8%
Conclusions and recommendations
Wakiso district has high levels of ART initiation because of the test and treat policy which was
introduced by Ministry of Health. However, MOH, Health facilities, district leadership and all
stake holders should ensure that people are sensitized routinely on HIV and ART initiation, to
bring HIV Testing Services (HTS) nearer to the people, reduce on the long waiting time spent by
clients, provide HTS in relation to other services especially those that prevent them from
contracting HIV virus like condoms, screening and treatment for STI to ensure that the 90-90-90
UNAIDS targets are achieved by 2030 as well as encouraging cultural and religious leaders to
embrace the UNAIDS targets. | en_US |
