Uganda uses a threshold of 1,000 copies/ml to determine HIV viral non-suppression among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) on treatment, which is indicative of either poor adherence or HIV virologic treatment failure; as per the recent WHO recommendations. The use of this high threshold of 1,000 copies/ml has resulted into an increase in the number of PLHIV having low-level viraemia (≥50 to \<1,000 copies/ml) from 11.0% in 2017 to 35.0% in 2020 in Uganda. Different studies in developed countries have shown that low-level viraemia is associated with HIV drug resistance, and despite this, there is no intervention to manage and control low-level viraemia (LLV), as per the recent Uganda national HIV guidelines. With this increasing and unmanaged low-level viraemia (LLV), Uganda might never achieve the global targets of ending AIDS as epidemic by 2030, as stipulated by target 3.3 of SDG 3. This study will therefore determine the effectiveness of intensive adherence counselling on achieving a non-detectable viral load (below 50 copies/ml) in the management of LLV among PLHIV on ART in Uganda. This study will generate useful information that might guide the review of the national HIV guidelines, to control and manage LLV among PLHIV on ART; and thereby enable Uganda to achieve the global goals of SDG 3, Target 3.3 and the national targets of Vision 2040.
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Proportions of people living with HIV (PLHIV) with a non-detectable viral load (below 50 copies/ml) in both the intervention and control arms of the study
Timeframe: 3 completed months of IAC