Exploring the Relationship Between Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) Default and HIV Deaths in Zimbabwe: A Case of Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals
- Author
- Mukandawire, Joshua. T
- Title
- Exploring the Relationship Between Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) Default and HIV Deaths in Zimbabwe: A Case of Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals
- Abstract
-
The study aimed at exploring the relationship between not adhering to antiretroviral therapy (ART)
treatment (known as ART default) and HIV-related deaths in Zimbabwe. The goal was to identify
ways to improve ART adherence and decrease death rates among Zimbabweans living with HIV.
The main objectives of this study were to determine how common ART default is among
Zimbabweans with HIV, to examine the relationship between ART default and HIV-related deaths
in Zimbabwe; and to establish possible ways to improve ART adherence. Understanding how ART
default and HIV death rates are related in Zimbabwe is important for developing effective ways to
improve treatment adherence and decrease deaths among people with HIV. The researcher used
qualitative and quantitative statistics to explore the relationship between ART default and HIVrelated deaths in Zimbabwe. The researcher surveyed 15 participants and interviewed 3 key
informants. Most (66.7%) of the participants were female. The major aim of the research was to
measure how defaulting from ART related to HIV-related deaths in Zimbabwe, which had not
been studied before. The study found that over 20% of Zimbabweans with HIV who were on ART
defaulted from treatment. The researcher also looked at reasons for ART default and findings
revealed that limited access to health centres was the major cause of default (33.3% of
respondents), followed by religious/cultural beliefs (26.6%), discrimination/stigma (20%), running
out of medication (13.3%), and other factors (6.7%). In summary, the key findings revealed that
ART default in Zimbabwe is common and relates to higher rates of HIV-related death. Improving
access to healthcare, addressing religious/cultural barriers, and reducing stigma may help decrease
ART default and improve health outcomes for people with HIV in Zimbabwe. - Date
- 2023
- Publisher
- BUSE
- Keywords
- Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) Default
- HIV Deaths
- Supervisor
- Miss. Pagan’a
- Item sets
- Department of Statistics and Mathematics
