ArticleThe East African health research journal2019
Unpacking Loss to Follow-Up Among HIV-Infected Women Initiated on Option B+ In Northern Tanzania: A Retrospective Chart Review.
Article in The East African health research journal, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.
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Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed.
- Uptake and retention in HIV care among pregnant and postpartum women living with HIV under different eras of vertical transmission prevention policies in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis.medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences · 2026Article
- HIV Stigma and Self-Efficacy Caring for Women Living With HIV: A Mixed-Methods Study of Labour and Delivery Providers-Empirical Research Mixed Methods.Nursing open · 2025Article
- Clinic transfers and engagement in HIV care during the perinatal period across a network of healthcare centers in Lilongwe, Malawi.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2024Article
- Long-term retention on antiretroviral treatment after enrolment in prevention of vertical HIV transmission services: a prospective cohort study in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.Journal of the International AIDS Society · 2024Article
- Article
- Eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Tanzania calls for efforts to address factors associated with a low confirmatory test.PLOS global public health · 2023Article
- "She Just Told Me Not To Cry": A Qualitative Study of Experiences of HIV Testing and Counseling (HTC) Among Pregnant Women Living with HIV in Tanzania.AIDS and behavior · 2021Article
- The development of Maisha, a video-assisted counseling intervention to address HIV stigma at entry into antenatal care in Tanzania.Evaluation and program planning · 2020Article
- HIV Community-Level Stigmatizing Attitudes in Tanzania: Perspectives from Antenatal Care.The East African health research journal · 2020Article
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Authors and funding
10 authors.
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No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundIn 2014, Tanzania adopted the Option B+ policy for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT), which stipulates lifelong antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV-infected pregnant, postpartum and breastfeeding women, irrespective of CD4 count or WHO clinical staging. Loss to follow-up (LTFU) during pregnancy and the postpartum period may undermine the effectiveness of Option B+. Factors associated with no follow-up (NFU) care, may differ from those associated with LTFU at later time points. This study aimed to identify factors associated with NFU and LTFU among women who initiate ART under Option B+ in Moshi, Tanzania.
methodsWe conducted a retrospective chart review of patients initiating ART on Option B+ between February 2014 and December 2015 in Moshi Municipality, Tanzania. Multivariable log-binomial regression was used to analyse factors associated with NFU. Kaplan-Meier survival functions were used to estimate time to LTFU. Multivariable Cox proportion hazards regression models were used to evaluate variables associated with time to LTFU.
resultsAmong 468 women initiating ART under the option B+ programme, 109 (23.3%) had NFU after the initial appointment. Factors associated with increased risk of NFU were: age < 25 years (adjusted hazard ratio [aRR] 1.7; 95% CI, 1.2 to 2.3), initiating ART at a hospital compared to a lower level health facilities (aRR 2.9; 95% CI, 2.1 to 3.9), and having no treatment supporter (aRR 1.5; 95% CI, 1.1 to 2.1). LTFU was higher in women aged < 25 years (aHR 1.4; 95% CI, 1.1 to 1.9), and in women with no treatment supporter (aHR 1.8; 95% CI, 1.4 to 2.3). In women who returned to the clinic after ART initiation, no factor was significantly associated with LTFU.
conclusionThe factors associated with NFU (being young, not having a treatment supporter, and being diagnosed at hospitals) reflect a vulnerable and potentially highly mobile population. Additional interventions are needed to support and retain this group at ART initiation on Option B+.
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