Assessment of treatment outcomes of HIV-positive adolescents on a dolutegravir- based regimen at a specialized paediatric HIV clinic in Lesotho

Abstract

Background: Globally, adolescents on antiretroviral therapy (ART) have comparatively worse treatment outcomes (i.e., low viral load suppression rates) compared to adults and children. Lesotho introduced Dolutegravir (DTG), to replace Efavirenz, as a more potent first line and second-line drug regimen for ART in 2018. However, no study has been conducted to date to assess the effectiveness of this change in regimen on treatment outcomes of adolescents on ART in Lesotho.