Implementation of Isoniazid Preventive Therapy among People Living with HIV in Northwestern Nigeria: Completion Rate and Predictive Factors

Abiola Victor Adepoju; Chidubem L Ogbudebe; Olusola Adedeji Adejumo; Johnson Okolie; Jude O Inegbeboh

doi:10.4103/jgid.jgid_138_18

Implementation of Isoniazid Preventive Therapy among People Living with HIV in Northwestern Nigeria: Completion Rate and Predictive Factors

J Glob Infect Dis. 2020 May 22;12(2):105-111. doi: 10.4103/jgid.jgid_138_18. eCollection 2020 Apr-Jun.

Authors

Abiola Victor Adepoju¹, Chidubem L Ogbudebe², Olusola Adedeji Adejumo³, Johnson Okolie⁴, Jude O Inegbeboh⁵

Affiliations

¹ Improved Tuberculosis/HIV Prevention and Care-Building Models for the Future Public Private Mix Project", KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation, Lagos, Nigeria.
² Country Monitoring and Evaluation Advisor,"Challenge TB Project", KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation, Lagos, Nigeria.
³ Mainland Hospital, Lagos and Department of Community Health and Primary Health Care, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria.
⁴ Clinical Care Specialist, Care and Treatment for Sustained Support Project, Management Science for Health, Nigeria.
⁵ Birth Registration Consultant, European Union Maternal Newborn and Child Health Project, United Nations Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF), Nigeria.

Abstract

Background: Despite proven benefits of isoniazid preventive therapy (IPT) for people living with HIV (PLHIV), its implementation remains limited in low-resource settings. There are also programmatic concerns of the completion rate of IPT particularly when full integration with other HIV services has not been achieved.

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the completion rate of IPT and predictive factors among PLHIV attending six government hospitals in Kebbi state, Northern Nigeria.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of program data spanning a 5-year period (December 2010-June 2016). Data were collected between January 2017 and June 2017.

Results: A total of 1,134 IPT patients were enrolled of whom 740 (65.3%) were female. The mean age was 40.3 ± 3.7 years. Four hundred and fifty-four (40%) of those who initiated IPT completed the 6-month course. Of the 680 (60%) IPT noncompleters, 117 (17.2%) were lost to follow-up by month 1, 305 (44.9%) by month 2, 156 (22.9%) by month 3, 48 (7.1%) by month 4, and 54 (7.9%) by month 5. Being initiated on IPT by a pharmacist (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 23.7, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 16.5-33.9) and receiving ≤2 tuberculosis screening evaluation during IPT period (aOR: 0.58, 95% CI: 0.43-0.78) were associated with a higher and lower risk of completing IPT, respectively, whereas age, sex, and anti-retroviral therapy (ART) status were not significantly associated.

Conclusion: IPT completion rate among PLHIV is relatively low, highlighting the need to strengthen IPT rollout in public health facilities in Nigeria. Pharmacy-led IPT adherence education and regular clinical evaluation may improve IPT completion rates, along with synchronizing and prepackaging IPT and ART resupplies for PLHIV.

Keywords: Human immunodeficiency virus; isoniazid preventive therapy; people living with HIV.