Browsing by Author "Ocen, Francis"

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    Factors Associated with Linkage to Care following Community-Level Identification of HIV-Positive Clients in Lira District
    (Hindawi Advances in Public Health, 2022) Adwar, Claire; Puleh, Steven Sean; Ochaba, Isaac; Ogweng, Isaac; Benyumiza, Deo; Amusu, Kosta; Achola, Brenda; Ocen, Francis; Abolo, Lydia; Kumakech, Edward; Obua, Celestino
    Background. Community HIV testing helps to increase access to high-risk groups who are less likely to visit a clinic for a test. A large proportion of people identified with HIV following community-based testing are not easily linked to care compared to facility-based identified cases. (ere is a paucity of literature on linkage to HIV care and its predictors particularly following community-based testing in a rural setting. We assessed the level of linkage to the care of HIV-positive individuals and associated factors following community-level identification in Lira district. Method. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Lira district employing mixed methods among HIV-positive adults identified in the communities. Quantitative data were collected from 329 randomly selected study participants using interviewer-administered questionnaires. Key informant interview guide was used to collect qualitative data. (e data were double entered, cleaned, and analyzed using SPSS version 23. Odds ratios and confidence intervals were used to assess the association between predictors of linkage with HIV care. Qualitative data were analyzed using thematic content analysis. Results. (e respondents were aged between 18 and 85 years with a mean age of 42.9 (SD � 11.6). (e level of linkage to HIV care following community-level identification of HIV testing in Lira district was 98% (95% CI 96.07–99.33). Clients who self-initiated the HIV testing were more likely to link to HIV care than their counterparts (AOR � 9.03; 95% CI 1.271–64.218, p � 0.028). Key informants identified factors influencing linkage to care as health education, counseling, follow-up, and family support. Fear of stigma, disclosure, denial, and distance to facility were reported as barriers to linkage. Conclusion/ Recommendation. (e level of linkage to HIV care following community identification was found to be excellent (98%). Predictors to linkage to care included self-initiated testing, positive perception of distance, and waiting time at health facilities. We recommend health education, counseling, follow-up, and family support as interventions to strengthen successfully linking to careLin
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    Prevalence and Factors Associated with Switching to Second Line Treatment among HIV-Positive Adolescents Receiving Antiretroviral Therapy in Gulu City.
    (Lira University, 2023) Katushabe, Resty; Ocen, Francis; Opollo, Marc Sam
    Background: Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a major public health problem, with approximately 37.7 million people across the globe infected with HIV by 2020, (adult 36 million, children aged 0-14 years 1.7 million). The world health organization calls upon all HIV-positive individuals with virologic failure to switch from the current-line to the next-line antiretroviral therapy (Keiser et al.,2010, Ramadhani et al., 2016). To determine the prevalence and factors associated with switching to second-line ART among HIV-positive adolescents receiving ART in Gulu city. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study using secondary data and participants included adolescents initiated on ART in Gulu city between 2017-2021. A total of 280 files of adolescents were included in the study from three Health facilities in Gulu city. Data was analyzed using Stata version 15. A chi-sequence test and multivariate analysis were used to determine the factors associated with switching. Results: The prevalence of switching was 10.3%, most participants were female 165 (58.9%) and those between 10-14 years dominated the study 178 (63.5%). Viral Load >1000 copies while on the first-line ART, was significantly associated with switching to second line ART (p=0.046). Conclusion: There was a prevalence of switching from first-line ART to second-line ART among adolescents in Gulu city and the associated factor was high first viral load. Keywords: Prevalence, Factors Associated, Switching to Second Line Treatment, HIV-Positive Adolescents, and Antiretroviral Therapy.