Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39645566›Full record

ArticleBMC pediatrics2024

Viral load suppression and retention in care among children and adolescents receiving multi-month anti-retroviral therapy refills: a program data review in Uganda.

Bridget Ainembabazi, Rogers N Ssebunya, Winnie Akobye, Alexander Mugume, Patricia Nahirya-Ntege, Denise J Birungi, Albert K Maganda, Peter J Elyanu, Dithan Kiragga

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC pediatrics, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
11citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

11 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Long-Term Clinical, Immunologic, and Viral Reservoir Outcomes in Children Treated With VRC01LS and 10-1074 Monoclonal Antibodies in the Tatelo Study.Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America · 2026
    Article
  6. Article
  7. Review
  8. Article
  9. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Bridget Ainembabazi *USAID Local Partner Health Services - Eastern, Mbale, Uganda.
Rogers N Ssebunya *Baylor College of Medicine Children's Foundation, Kampala, Uganda. ssebunyarogers@gmail.com.
Winnie AkobyeUSAID Local Partner Health Services - Eastern, Mbale, Uganda.
Alexander MugumeUSAID Local Partner Health Services - Eastern, Mbale, Uganda.
Patricia Nahirya-NtegeBaylor College of Medicine Children's Foundation, Kampala, Uganda.
Denise J BirungiBaylor College of Medicine Children's Foundation, Kampala, Uganda.
Albert K MagandaBaylor College of Medicine Children's Foundation, Kampala, Uganda.
Peter J ElyanuBaylor College of Medicine Children's Foundation, Kampala, Uganda.
Dithan KiraggaUSAID Local Partner Health Services - Eastern, Mbale, Uganda.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIn July 2022, Uganda's Ministry of Health extended the 2021 WHO guidelines that recommended 3-6 monthly dispensing of antiretroviral therapy (ART) to include all children and adolescents living with HIV (CALHIV). Treatment outcomes following this recommendation have not yet been documented. We compared viral load (VL) suppression and retention in HIV care rates among CALHIV receiving 1, 2-5, and >  = 6 monthly ART dispensation in Uganda.

methodsA cross-sectional study of electronic medical records in 118 health facilities was conducted. Data for CALHIV 10-19 years captured at their most recent five clinic visits as of 15th May 2023 were analysed. Most recent two VL < 1000 copies/ml were used as measures for VL suppression and sustained VL suppression. A client was considered retained in care if they visited the clinic within 28 days from their expected return visit date. We used margins plots and a modified poisson model adjusting for facility level clustering to assess VL suppression and retention across multi-month ART categories.

resultsA total of 2864 CALHIV, 1609 (56.2%) being females and with a median age of 12 years (inter quartile range, iqr = 7) were included. Overall suppression and retention rates were 80.4% (2133/2654) and 87.8% (2514/2864) respectively. A significant number had been dispensed ART for ≥ 2 months (50%, 2-5 months and 43.5%, ≥ 6 months). Probability of having a suppressed VL was higher among CALHIV that had received ≥ 6 months and 2-5 months of ART compared to those of 1 month i.e., 83% vs 79% vs 41% respectively. Probability of being retained in care didn't differ across multi-month ART categories. CALHIV who received ART for 2-5 months and ≥ 6 months compared to 1 month were more likely to have a suppressed VL; (adj.PR = 1.98; 95%CI:1.41, 2.80) and (adj.PR = 2.21; 95% CI:1.59, 3.05) respectively. CALHIV with a Tuberculosis diagnosis history were less likely to have a suppressed VL (adj.PR = 0.73; 95%CI:0.65,0.81), however this was not statistically significantly different between multi-month categories.

conclusionCALHIV receiving multi-month ART including 6 months dispensation had better VL suppression rates. Retention rates however didn't differ by multi-month dispensing categories as observed among adults in the interval trial. We recommend multi-month ART dispensation including more than 6 months among CALHIV irrespective of their age, clinical stage, and history of prior co-morbidities.

Indexed as

HIV InfectionsRetention in CareViral LoadAdolescentAnti-HIV AgentsAnti-Retroviral AgentsChildCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMaleUgandaYoung AdultAnti-HIV AgentsAnti-Retroviral AgentsAdolescentsChildrenHIVMulti-monthViral suppression and retention

Identifiers

PMID39645566
PMCPMC11624587

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.