Acta Biomedica Scientia

ADHERENCE TO ANTIRETROVIRAL AND ANTITUBERCULAR REGIMEN IN PATIENTS WITH HIV-TB COINFECTION

Dr. Sivanageswararao Mekala, Dr. Ali Said Yussuf, Saravanan Ranganathan, Dr. Chukwuma J. Okafor4, Rahma Mussa Ali

sivanageshmekala@gmail.com

HIV/TB Co-infection, Adherence, Counseling, Compliance

Co-infection with tuberculosis (TB) is common in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Patients who are on drug therapy for HIV-TB co-infection, adherence to both the regimen is low. Low adherence of the patients can lead to spread of resistant strains of tuberculosis and HIV. The Main objective of this study is to identify the factors that lead to low adherence to HIV and TB therapy among co-infected patients. It also helps to find the ways to improve the adherence of anti-tubercular and antiretroviral regimen in patients with HIV-TB co- infection. The study was conducted as a questionnaires survey, involving both quantitative and qualitative methods. The study conducted at the TB-HIV Clinic, Mnazi Mmoja Hospital, Zanzibar, which provides ant-TB and ARV drugs. Triangulated data was collected through Interviews, Observations, Document Reviews, and Survey. Survey conducted through questionnaires which involved health care providers (doctors, nurses, health educator and pharmacy assistant) and patients. The results obtained were tabulated. The results showed that the level of adherence among HIV-TB co-infected patients at Mnazi Mmoja hospital Zanzibar is only 28.6 %, and non-adherence level 71.4 %. All the patients who were non-adherent had educational qualification below primary education. The most contributory factor for non-adherence to the medication is their poor economic status and education. Repeated counseling and extensive follow-up is needed in these patients to make them adherent to the medication. Improving the patient compliance could improve the health status of these patients and prevent the spread of resistant strains of infection. The success of the therapy in HIV-TB co-infection lies on the adherence to the medication