Abstract:

Background: WHO targets to end HIV/AIDS as a public health problem by 2030. The introduction of the ambitious “95-95- 95” strategy to attain this target is expected to be achieved by the year 2030. However, there is lack of regional data, especially on the third “95”. This study is aimed at determining patterns of high viral load and associated factors among HIV infected patients attending care and treatment clinic at Bugando medical centre. In a study that included 9200 adults receiving ART of whom 88.8% had VLS and 11.2% had NVL including 8.2% who experienced VF and 3.0% who interrupted ART. Younger age, male sex, less education, suboptimal adherence, receiving nevirapine, HIV non-disclosure, never having married and place of residence were associated with higher odds of NVL. Among people with NVL, marriage, female sex, shorter ART duration, higher CD4 count and alcohol use were associated with lower odds for VF and higher odds for interrupted ART(1). It has also been revealed that there is no association between a detectable HIV viral load and NCD co morbidity(2). Some studies have also shown a temporal pattern of viral load fluctuation among HIV patients on ART(3).

Objectives: patterns of high viral load and associated factors among HIV infected patients attending care and treatment clinic at Bugando medical centre.

Methods: This was a retrospective study that involved patient records of 284 HIV patients on HAART for at least 6 months with HIV RNA viral load results available at the ART Clinic between January 2020 and January 2023 was reviewed, Archival data on HIV patients on HAART from January 2020 to January 2023 was obtained from the hospital’s ART unit.