Factors Affecting Adherence to ART Among Patients Attending the HIV Clinics in Makindye Division.

Abstract

Evidence shows that on the worldwide scene, over 34 million people are living with HIV/AIDS of whom 68% are from the Sub-Saharan Africa region. In Uganda, at least 1.4 million of its population is infected leading to a sero-prevalence of 7.2%. Though transmission can arguably be reduced by 90% with adherence to treatment with ART alone, none adherence remains eminent in the country thus a study examining the factors affecting adherence to art among patients attending the HIV clinics in Makindye Division. This study after using cross-section model in which the questionnaires were administered to 129 patients attending the HIV clinics in Makindye division found and concluded that though a good proportion of HIV patients on ART treatment are non-adherents, the ART adherence level is high amongst majority of the HIV patients. The study established and concluded that knowing ART importance alongside use of reminders positively influences the adherence to ART treatment amongst HIV patients. It was also found out that while adherence to ART treatment is not influenced by the sex, marital status and education level of patients.it is significantly and positively dependent of the age of the patient, employment status, the monthly income earned and the kind of relationship with the HIV clinic. The study in its efforts also established that adherence to ART treatment is not significantly influenced by health worker’s availability, waiting time, pay for service but negatively affected by the distance from the patients’ home to the health facility that’s the higher the distance, the more the non-adherence and the less the distance, the high the level of adherence. Based on the study objectives and findings the study recommends among others that government and other stakeholders make efforts and sensitize the public both infected and none infected on the need for ART treatment as to help reduce on the proportion of the non-adherents and that more health facilities that are close to the population be constructed or if not possible existing private health facilities be utilized to increase patients adherence to ART treatment.