Qualitative study: Facilitators and barriers to PLHIV enrolling and being retained in HIV care and treatment services in Vietnam

Qualitative study: Facilitators and barriers to PLHIV enrolling and being retained in HIV care and trcatment services in Vietnam

Year: 2011

For FHI360; Funded by: USAID; Partners with Vietnam Administration for HIV/AIDS Control (VAAC)

In order to understand why 1) a large proportion of PLHIV who know their status are not enrolling in care; 2) PLHIV who do enroll in pre-ART care are dropping out of care at higher rates than those who are on ART; and 3) to inform the design of new strategies and/or tailor existing strategies to improve access and retention in care and treatment services for PLHIV (both on ART and pre-ART) in Vietnam, the FHI360 and a consulting agency ISMS, in partnership with VAAC conducted the qualitative study and Hai Phong, Vietnam. In-depth interviews were held with 76 study participants belonging to three different groups of PLHIV (group A: never accessed and registered with an outpatient clinic (OPC), group B: lost to follow up after registration with OPC including Pre-ARV and ARV groups, and group C: currently receiving care and treatment from OPC including Pre - ARV and ARV), 22 caregivers, and 47 health care providers including facility based health providers and community health providers. 

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