Barriers and facilitators to adherence for antiretroviral therapy the perspectives of patients from a wellness center in the Mpumalanga Province, South Africa

Introduction. Patients' non-adherence to antiretroviral treatment remains a public health concern in many developing countries, especially in South Africa. Objectives: The objective of the study was to explore the barriers and facilitators of patients' ART adherence in one health care facility in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. Methods: A qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive design was employed to collect data using a semi-structured interview guide through individual in-depth interviews among twenty (20) purposively selected patients. The thematic analysis approach was used to generate themes from the data. Results: A majority of the participants were female (n=12, 60%), married (n=13, 65%), and employed (n=12, 60%). Barriers to ART adherence include insufficient medical staff at the health center and waiting time being too long. Facilitators included service providers' positive attitude, clear instructions for taking medication, benefits of adhering to ART, and dangers of defaulting treatment. Conclusion: Barriers and facilitators for adherence included several factors related to the health system, health care workers, and the patients. Achievement of optimal adherence to ART requires the commitment of both patients and providers

Barriers to utilization of sexual and reproductive health services among young deaf persons in Ghana

Despite significant progress made to improve access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services to the general populace in Ghana, information on the accessibility of such services to deaf persons is limited. This study investigated access to and utilization of SRH services among young female deaf persons in Ghana. Sixty deaf persons were interviewed from six metropolis/municipalities/districts in three regions of Ghana. The data were collected using focus group discussion and one-on-one interviews. The data were subjected to content analysis, leading to the identification of two broad themes. The study identified barriers at two levels: point of service delivery and barriers at the individual level. For instance, at the point of service delivery, they were claims that deaf women were victims of negative attitudes from health workers. The study concludes on the need for health policymakers to consider collaborating with the Ghana National Association of the Deaf in an effort towards designing inclusive SRH programmes.

Factors associated with poor access to HIV and sexual and reproductive health services in Nigeria for women and girls living with HIV during the COVID-19 pandemic

Aim: To determine the proportion of women and girls living with HIV (WGLHIV) who had poor access to HIV, tuberculosis and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services in Nigeria during the COVID-19 pandemic and associated factors.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study that recruited WGLHIV with six categories of vulnerability (sex work, transactional sex, injecting or using illegal drugs, people on the move, transgender women and people with a disability) through an online survey conducted in ten Nigerian states between June and October 2021. The associations between the limited access to HIV, tuberculosis and SRH services due to COVID-19, the categories of vulnerability and the financial and non-financial barriers to these services were determined using multivariable logistics regression analysis. Results: Over 6 in 10, almost 2 in 10, and almost 4 in 10 WGLHIV had limited access to HIV, tuberculosis and SRH services respectively during the COVID-19 pandemic. Transgender women had 3.59 (95% CI 2.19­5.91) higher odds, women who engaged in sex work had 4.51 (95% CI 2.28­8.42) higher odds, and women who inject or use illegal drugs had 2.39 (95% CI 1.47­32.90) higher odds of facing limited access to sexual and reproductive health services when it was needed. In addition, the direct consequences of the COVID-19 crisis, such as the closure of HIV services and SRH service points, exacerbated pre-existing barriers significantly. Having no money, having to pay additional unofficial fees and the lack of security on the road to the health facility were the barriers with the greatest impact on access to health services. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on the access of WGLHIV to essential health services. This impact was disproportionately higher for marginalised groups. WGLHIV need non-discriminatory and affordable access to essential health services during the pandemic.

Carbohydrate counting in type 1 diabetes mellitus: dietitians' perceptions, training and barriers to use

Objectives A study was undertaken to determine the perceptions, training and barriers regarding the use of carbohydrate counting in the dietary management of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) among dietitians in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). Design A cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted. Setting Dietitians who were registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA), and working in the province of KZN at the time of the study, were invited to participate. Methods Data were collected using a self-administered electronic questionnaire distributed through SurveyMonkey, an Internet-based survey programme. Results Dietitians agreed that carbohydrate counting was a useful dietary management approach for diabetes (p < 0.05) and that it was essential to manage T1DM (p < 0.05). However, they felt it was a difficult concept for patients with T1DM to understand (p = 0.001) and teaching it to patients was time consuming (p < 0.05). Although dietitians believed that there was a strong evidence base for teaching carbohydrate counting to patients with T1DM (p < 0.05), they indicated a need for further training or education in it (p < 0.05). Barriers to using carbohydrate counting included a lack of training, confidence and experience, financial resources, time, blood glucose records and poor patient motivation and patient illiteracy (p < 0.05). Conclusions Overall, dietitians who participated in the study had a positive perception towards the use of carbohydrate counting in the management of T1DM. However, further training needs to be addressed for carbohydrate counting to be used with confidence by dietitians in KZN to optimize their management of T1DM.