Interruptions to HIV Care Delivery During Pandemics and Natural Disasters: A Qualitative Study of Challenges and Opportunities From Frontline Healthcare Providers in Western Kenya

During public health crises, people living with HIV (PLWH) may become disengaged from care. The goal of this study was to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and recent flooding disasters on HIV care delivery in western Kenya. We conducted ten individual in-depth interviews with HIV provi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Journal of the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care 2023-01, Vol.22, p.23259582231152041-23259582231152041
Main Authors:	Tran, Dan N., Ching, Jennifer, Kafu, Catherine, Wachira, Juddy, Koros, Hillary, Venkataramani, Maya, Said, Jamil, Pastakia, Sonak D., Galárraga, Omar, Genberg, Becky L.
Format:	Article
Language:	eng
Subjects:	COVID-19 - epidemiology COVID-19 and the Continuum of HIV Care and Prevention Health Personnel - psychology HIV Infections - epidemiology HIV Infections - therapy Humans Kenya - epidemiology Natural Disasters Pandemics Qualitative Research
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Summary:	During public health crises, people living with HIV (PLWH) may become disengaged from care. The goal of this study was to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and recent flooding disasters on HIV care delivery in western Kenya. We conducted ten individual in-depth interviews with HIV providers across four health facilities. We used an iterative and integrated inductive and deductive data analysis approach to generate four themes. First, increased structural interruptions created exacerbating strain on health facilities. Second, there was increased physical and psychosocial burnout among providers. Third, patient uptake of services along the HIV continuum decreased, particularly among vulnerable patients. Finally, existing community-based programs and teleconsultations could be adapted to provide differentiated HIV care. Community-centric care programs, with an emphasis on overcoming the social, economic, and structural barriers will be crucial to ensure optimal care and limit the impact of public health disruptions on HIV care globally.
ISSN:	2325-9582 2325-9574 2325-9582