Attrition from HIV Care and Treatment Services in Tanzania: Magnitude and Reasons


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Author(s): Werner Maokola, Joseph Nondi, Veryeh Sambu, and Joel Nchaho

Year: 2018

Attrition from HIV Care and Treatment Services in Tanzania: Magnitude and Reasons Abstract:

Because sustained participation is necessary for HIV treatment to be effective, understanding factors that govern participation—or lack of it—is vital to the work of MEASURE Evaluation, which is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, to improve site-level health services.

This study aimed to determine the magnitude of attrition for people living with HIV (PLHIV) from antiretroviral therapy (ART), determine common types of attrition, and document reasons for poor retention in ART services—all to improve retention of PLHIV in ART. By addressing this knowledge gap, this research contributes to USAID’s goal of controlling the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

This study used retrospective record review and a cross-sectional study design involving PLHIV enrolled in treatment between 2006 and 2014 in two high-volume care and treatment clinics in MnaziMmoja Hospital (Ilala District, Dar es Salaam region) and Mkuranga District Hospital (Pwani Region).


Filed under: People Living with HIV , At-Risk Populations , AIDS , ART