Adherence to antiretroviral treatment at the mother-child hospital luxembourg in bamako, Mali

Objectives: Adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) is a prerequisite for successful management of patients living with HIV. The multiple factors associated with poor adherence are still poorly understood. This is why a study on compliance with ART was conducted at the mother-child hospital in Luxembourg.The objective was to assess adherence to ART in patients followed at the hospital HIV management unit. Method and materials: The survey was cross-sectional, descriptive, retrospective and comprehensive. The study population consists of all patients living with HIV, followed at the mother-child hospital in Luxembourg, during the period from 01 January to 31 March 2010. Results: This study involved 130 patients on ARVs with durations ranging from 2 weeks to 12 months. The average age was 36 years (+or-10) with a female predominance (67.7%). 78.5% of patients were classified as CDC Stage C. The majority of patients (64.6%) were at month 6 of ART. 13% of patients used traditional treatment.74.6% of patients did not inform a third party of their HIV status. 20.8% of patients feel they are victims of stigma and/or discrimination. The combination regimen 2INRT+1INNRT was the most prescribed (94.6%). Adherence to treatment was good in 88.5%. The causes of non-compliance were: stock-out: 33.3%; rejection: 26.7%; travel: 20%; side effects: 13.3%; Oblivion: 6.7%. Conclusion: The study showed a statistically significant relationship between adherence and psychosocial factors: stigma, information about the patient's HIV status, use of traditional treatment (p<0.05) and between adherence and the presence of side effects following ART (p<0.05).