Effect of the COVID-19 lockdown on the HIV care continuum in Southwestern Uganda: A time series analysis

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 18; no. 8; p. e0289000
• Main Authors: Kabami, Jane, Owaraganise, Asiphas, Beesiga, Brian, Okiring, Jaffer, Kakande, Elijah, Chen, Yea-Hung, Mwangwa, Florence, Akatukwasa, Cecilia, Nangendo, Joanita, Muyindike, Winnie, Semitala, Fred C., Roh, Michelle E., Kamya, Moses R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 10.08.2023
• Subjects: Antiretroviral agents; Antiretroviral drugs; Antiretroviral therapy; Antiviral agents; Biology and Life Sciences; Care and treatment; Clinics; Communicable Disease Control; Comparative analysis; Continuity of Patient Care; COVID-19; COVID-19 - epidemiology; Curfews; Health aspects; Highly active antiretroviral therapy; HIV; HIV (Viruses); HIV Infections - drug therapy; HIV Infections - epidemiology; HIV patients; Hospitals; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Medical care; Medicine and Health Sciences; Pandemics; Patient outcomes; People and Places; Physical Sciences; Policies; Public health; Public transportation; Quality management; Research and Analysis Methods; SARS-CoV-2; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Shelter in place; Time Factors; Time series; Trends; Uganda; Uganda - epidemiology; Uganda
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0289000

In Uganda, COVID-19 lockdown policies curbed the spread of SARS-CoV-2, but their effect on HIV care is poorly understood. We examined the effects of COVID-19 lockdown policies on ART initiation, missed visits, and viral suppression in Uganda. We conducted a time series analysis using data from a dynamic cohort of persons with HIV enrolled between March 2017 and September 2021 at HIV clinics in Masaka and Mbarara Regional Referral Hospitals in Southwestern Uganda. Poisson and fractional probit regression were used to predict expected monthly antiretroviral therapy initiations, missed visits, and viral suppression based on pre-lockdown trends. Observed and expected trends were compared across three policy periods: April 2020-September 2021 (overall), April-May 2020 (1st lockdown), and June-August 2021 (2nd lockdown). We enrolled 7071 Persons living with HIV (PWH) (nMasaka = 4150; nMbarara = 2921). Average ART duration was 34 and 30 months in Masaka and Mbarara, respectively. During the 18-month post-lockdown period, monthly ART initiations were lower than expected in both Masaka (51 versus 63 visits; a decrease of 12 [95% CI: -2, 31] visits) and Mbarara (42 versus 55 visits; a decrase of 13 [95% CI: 0, 27] visits). Proportion of missed visits was moderately higher than expected post-lockdown in Masaka (10% versus 7%; 4% [95% CI: 1%, 7%] absolute increase), but not in Mbarara (13% versus 13%; 0% [95% CI: -4%, 6%] absolute decrease). Viral suppression rates were moderate-to-high in Masaka (64.7%) and Mbarara (92.5%) pre-lockdown and remained steady throughout the post-lockdown period. The COVID-19 lockdown in Uganda was associated with reductions in ART initiation, with minimal effects on retention and viral suppression, indicating a resilient HIV care system.