Effects of Enhance Adherence Counselling on Viral Load Suppression Among High Viral Load HIV Seropositive Patients in a Nigerian Tertiary Health Facility

Abstract

Background: EAC helps clients overcome adherence hurdles and improve ART adherence. This study examines the effect of EAC on viral load suppression. Method: This quantitative study aims to determine the impacts of enhanced adherence counselling (EAC) on viral load in Defence Headquarters Medical Center, Abuja, Nigeria. The medical records of HIV clients on ART included in EAC were extracted from the hospital and analyzed to determine the impacts of EAC on viral loads suppression of clients in the program. Result: Almost half of the PLWHIV in EAC have been on ART for 6-10 years (47.6%), 42.9% for more than ten years, and 9.5% have been on ART for 1 – 5 years. 76.2% of respondents were on the 1st line of the ART regimen, while 23.8% were on the 2nd line. 97.6% of clients enrolled for EAC were at the WHO stage I HIV infection, and only one (2.4%) was in stage IV. 50% tested for viral load was due to viral blip, 28.6% due to unsuppressed viral load and 21.4% were tested to monitor their VL. Furthermore, of the 33 clients with viral load results, 14 (42.4%) had very low-level viremia (<50 copies/ml), 10 (30.3%) had low-level viremia (50–1000 copies/ml), but 9 (27.3%) still had high-level viremia (>1000 copies/ml). 42.9% enrolled for EAC because of pill burdens, 31.0% due to irregular dosing frequency, 19.0% because of pill social problems, and 2.1% were people lost to follow-up returned.. Keywords: Antiretroviral therapy, EAC, Viral load.