Community health worker-led ART delivery improved scheduled antiretroviral drug refill among men who have sex with men in Lagos State, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Stigma affects access and treatment outcomes in men who have sex with men. We assessed the effect of novel community health worker-led antiretroviral therapy delivery (CLAD). Methods: A retrospective cohort study of routinely collected data was conducted. We used the t-test to compare the mean adherence to scheduled drug refill appointments before and after implementing CLAD. Results: The mean adherence to drug refill was 1.4 (±0.7 SD) of monthly scheduled refills before CLAD and 4.7 (±1.2 SD) of monthly refills in CLAD (P < 0.001). Conclusion: The CLAD model was more effective for drug refill appointments than a regular HIV clinic.