Factors influencing adherence to Antiretroviral Therapy at a General Hospital in Mombasa, Kenya

Abstract

Sub-Saharan Africa is home to two thirds of the 33 million HIV infected individuals worldwide. In 2007 there were an estimated 1.5 million Kenyans infected with HIV, and 166 000 new infections in 2008. The introduction of antiretroviral therapy [ART] brought new hope to HIV patients. It has transformed a fatal disease to a chronic manageable condition. Kenya has made great strides in ensuring access to ART and by 2009, 308 610 patients in the country were receiving ART - which is the second highest number worldwide. The success of ART requires a sustained adherence rate to medication of more than 95% to prevent viral replication and the development of drug resistant HIV strains. Identifying the factors that influence adherence, is essential for the long-term success of public ART programmes. The current study explored patient, socio-economic, cultural, and religious and health systems factors that influence adherence to ART at the Coast Provincial General Hospital [CPGH] in Mombasa, Kenya.