ABSTRACT
Contrary to early expectations, recent studies have shown near-perfect adherence to HIV antiretrovirals in sub-Saharan Africa We conducted qualitative interviews with patients purchasing low-cost, generic antiretroviral therapy to better understand the social dynamics underlying these findings. We found that concerns for family well-being motivate adherence, yet, the financial sacrifices necessary to secure therapy may paradoxically undermine family welfare. We suggest that missed doses may be more due to a failure to access medication rather than a failure to adhere to medications, and that structural rather than behavioral interventions may be most useful to insure optimal treatment response.
Subject(s)
Anti-Retroviral Agents/therapeutic use , Attitude to Health , Drugs, Generic , HIV Infections/drug therapy , HIV Infections/psychology , Health Behavior , Patient Compliance , Adult , Catchment Area, Health , Cost of Illness , Drug Therapy, Combination , Female , HIV Infections/epidemiology , Humans , Longitudinal Studies , Male , Uganda/epidemiologyABSTRACT
Our objective was to determine the level of adherence and reasons for non-adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) among HIV-positive (HIV+) people on ART in a resource-limited setting. Patients receiving ART were recruited into the cross-sectional study from three treatment centres in Kampala, Uganda. The number of missed doses over the last three days was assessed by structured patient interviews and dichotomized at +/-95% adherence. Reasons for non-adherence were assessed with both structured patient interviews and unstructured qualitative interviews. Independent predictors of non-adherence were assessed with multivariate logistic regression. In all, 304 HIV-infected persons on ART were enrolled into the study. Factors associated with non-adherence were marital status (odds ratio (OR) = 2.93, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.32-6.50) and low monthly income <50 US$ [OR = 2.77, 95% CI 1.64-4.67]. We concluded that levels of self-reported adherence in patients receiving ART in Kampala are comparable to levels in resource-rich settings with inability to purchase and secure a stable supply as a major barrier to adherence.
Subject(s)
Anti-HIV Agents/economics , Anti-HIV Agents/therapeutic use , HIV Infections/drug therapy , Patient Compliance , Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors/economics , Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors/therapeutic use , Adult , Aged , Cross-Sectional Studies , Drug Therapy, Combination , Female , Humans , Interviews as Topic , Logistic Models , Male , Middle Aged , UgandaABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Imported malaria is quite common in the United States. Increasing antimalarial drug resistance and changes in travel patterns may have important implications for the prevention, clinical presentation, and management of this disease. METHODS: Medical records were reviewed for 121 patients with microscopically confirmed malaria diagnosed at 2 university-affiliated hospitals in San Francisco, Calif, between 1988 and 1997. RESULTS: Among 57 travelers from the United States, only 13 (23%) had been compliant with an appropriate chemoprophylactic regimen. No patients developed falciparum malaria after consistent chemoprophylactic therapy with mefloquine hydrochloride. However, 12 (19%) of US residents with imported malaria developed Plasmodium vivax or Plasmodium ovale infections despite an appropriate chemoprophylactic regimen, generally with a late onset suggestive of relapsing disease. Clinical presentations were similar between foreign residents and American travelers and between patients with falciparum and nonfalciparum infections; 98% of patients had a history of fever. Sixteen percent of patients had received previous evaluations during which the diagnosis of malaria was not considered. In 9% of patients, there were errors in treatment. Only 1 patient developed severe malaria. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that a standard chemoprophylactic regimen is highly effective in preventing falciparum malaria, but that many American travelers do not receive it. Also, relapsing P vivax or P ovale infection despite appropriate chemoprophylactic therapy was not uncommon among our cases. The presentation of imported malaria is nonspecific, highlighting the need to consider the diagnosis in any febrile patient who has been in a malaria-endemic area. Although errors in diagnosis and treatment were quite common in our study population, patient outcomes were good once the appropriate therapy was initiated.
