Browsing by Author "Murenzi, Gad"

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    Achieving consistency in measures of HIV-1 viral suppression across countries: derivation of an adjustment based on international antiretroviral treatment cohort data
    (Wiley, 2021) Johnson, Leigh F.; Kariminia, Azar; Trickey, Adam; Yiannoutsos, Constantin T.; Ekouevi, Didier K.; Minga, Albert K.; Pascom, Ana Roberta Pati; Han, Win Min; Zhang, Lei; Althoff, Keri N.; Rebeiro, Peter F.; Murenzi, Gad; Ross, Jonathan; Hsiao, Nei-Yuan; Marsh, Kimberly; Biostatistics and Health Data Science, Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health
    Introduction: The third of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) 90-90-90 targets is to achieve a 90% rate of viral suppression (HIV viral load <1000 HIV-1 RNA copies/ml) in patients on antiretroviral treatment (ART) by 2020. However, some countries use different thresholds when reporting viral suppression, and there is thus a need for an adjustment to standardize estimates to the <1000 threshold. We aim to propose such an adjustment, to support consistent monitoring of progress towards the "third 90" target. Methods: We considered three possible distributions for viral loads in ART patients: Weibull, Pareto and reverse Weibull (imposing an upper limit but no lower limit on the log scale). The models were fitted to data on viral load distributions in ART patients in the International epidemiology Databases to Evaluate AIDS (IeDEA) collaboration (representing seven global regions) and the ART Cohort Collaboration (representing Europe), using separate random effects models for adults and children. The models were validated using data from the World Health Organization (WHO) HIV drug resistance report and the Brazilian national ART programme. Results: Models were calibrated using 921,157 adult and 37,431 paediatric viral load measurements, over 2010-2019. The Pareto and reverse Weibull models provided the best fits to the data, but for all models, the "shape" parameters for the viral load distributions differed significantly between regions. The Weibull model performed best in the validation against the WHO drug resistance survey data, while the Pareto model produced uncertainty ranges that were too narrow, relative to the validation data. Based on these analyses, we recommend using the reverse Weibull model. For example, if a country reports an 80% rate of viral suppression at <200 copies/ml, this model estimates the proportion virally suppressed at <1000 copies/ml is 88.3% (0.800.56 ), with uncertainty range 85.5-90.6% (0.800.70 -0.800.44 ). Conclusions: Estimates of viral suppression can change substantially depending on the threshold used in defining viral suppression. It is, therefore, important that viral suppression rates are standardized to the same threshold for the purpose of assessing progress towards UNAIDS targets. We have proposed a simple adjustment that allows this, and this has been incorporated into UNAIDS modelling software.
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    Cervical cancer prevention and care in HIV clinics across sub-Saharan Africa: results of a facility-based survey
    (Wiley, 2024) Asangbeh-Kerman, Serra Lem; Davidović, Maša; Taghavi, Katayoun; Dhokotera, Tafadzwa; Manasyan, Albert; Sharma, Anjali; Jaquet, Antoine; Musick, Beverly; Twizere, Christella; Chimbetete, Cleophas; Murenzi, Gad; Tweya, Hannock; Muhairwe, Josephine; Wools-Kaloustian, Kara; Technau, Karl-Gunter; Anastos, Kathryn; Yotebieng, Marcel; Jousse, Marielle; Ezechi, Oliver; Orang’o, Omenge; Bosomprah, Samuel; Boni, Simon Pierre; Basu, Partha; Bohlius, Julia; IeDEA; Biostatistics and Health Data Science, Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health
    Introduction: To eliminate cervical cancer (CC), access to and quality of prevention and care services must be monitored, particularly for women living with HIV (WLHIV). We assessed implementation practices in HIV clinics across sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) to identify gaps in the care cascade and used aggregated patient data to populate cascades for WLHIV attending HIV clinics. Methods: Our facility-based survey was administered between November 2020 and July 2021 in 30 HIV clinics across SSA that participate in the International epidemiology Databases to Evaluate AIDS (IeDEA) consortium. We performed a qualitative site-level assessment of CC prevention and care services and analysed data from routine care of WLHIV in SSA. Results: Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination was offered in 33% of sites. Referral for CC diagnosis (42%) and treatment (70%) was common, but not free at about 50% of sites. Most sites had electronic health information systems (90%), but data to inform indicators to monitor global targets for CC elimination in WLHIV were not routinely collected in these sites. Data were collected routinely in only 36% of sites that offered HPV vaccination, 33% of sites that offered cervical screening and 20% of sites that offered pre-cancer and CC treatment. Conclusions: Though CC prevention and care services have long been available in some HIV clinics across SSA, patient and programme monitoring need to be improved. Countries should consider leveraging their existing health information systems and use monitoring tools provided by the World Health Organization to improve CC prevention programmes and access, and to track their progress towards the goal of eliminating CC.
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    Facility-Based Indicators to Manage and Scale Up Cervical Cancer Prevention and Care Services for Women Living With HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa: a Three-Round Online Delphi Consensus Method
    (Wolters Kluwer, 2024) Davidović, Maša; Asangbeh, Serra Lem; Taghavi, Katayoun; Dhokotera, Tafadzwa; Jaquet, Antoine; Musick, Beverly; Van Schalkwyk, Cari; Schwappach, David; Rohner, Eliane; Murenzi, Gad; Wools-Kaloustian, Kara; Anastos, Kathryn; Omenge, Orang’o Elkanah; Boni, Simon Pierre; Duda, Stephany N.; von Groote, Per; Bohlius, Julia; International epidemiology Databases to Evaluate AIDS; Biostatistics and Health Data Science, Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health
    Background: Of women with cervical cancer (CC) and HIV, 85% live in sub-Saharan Africa, where 21% of all CC cases are attributable to HIV infection. We aimed to generate internationally acceptable facility-based indicators to monitor and guide scale up of CC prevention and care services offered on-site or off-site by HIV clinics. Methods: We reviewed the literature and extracted relevant indicators, grouping them into domains along the CC control continuum. From February 2021 to March 2022, we conducted a three-round, online Delphi process to reach consensus on indicators. We invited 106 experts to participate. Through an anonymous, iterative process, participants adapted the indicators to their context (round 1), then rated them for 5 criteria on a 5-point Likert-type scale (rounds 2 and 3) and then ranked their importance (round 3). Results: We reviewed 39 policies from 21 African countries and 7 from international organizations; 72 experts from 15 sub-Saharan Africa countries or international organizations participated in our Delphi process. Response rates were 34% in round 1, 40% in round 2, and 44% in round 3. Experts reached consensus for 17 indicators in the following domains: primary prevention (human papillomavirus prevention, n = 2), secondary prevention (screening, triage, treatment of precancerous lesions, n = 11), tertiary prevention (CC diagnosis and care, n = 2), and long-term impact of the program and linkage to HIV service (n = 2). Conclusion: We recommend that HIV clinics that offer CC control services in sub-Saharan Africa implement the 17 indicators stepwise and adapt them to context to improve monitoring along the CC control cascade.
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    Prevalence and co-occurrence of symptoms of mental and substance use disorders among people with HIV age 40 and older in low- and middle-income countries: a cross-sectional study
    (Wiley, 2024) Parcesepe, Angela M.; Stockton, Melissa; Bernard, Charlotte; Kanguya, Tukiya; Kwobah, Edith Kamaru; Lopez, Alvaro; Murenzi, Gad; Ross, Jeremy; Minga, Albert; Maruri, Fernanda; Tlali, Mpho; Goodrich, Suzanne; Perazzo, Hugo; Musabyimana, Françoise; Nimkar, Smita; Lancaster, Kathryn; IeDEA Consortium; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Introduction: Due to the increased effectiveness of and access to antiretroviral therapy (ART), people with HIV (PWH) are living longer. As a result, the population of older PWH has increased. Mental and substance use disorders (MSDs) are common and frequently co-occurring among PWH and are associated with poor HIV care outcomes. Research into the prevalence and co-occurrence of MSDs among ageing PWH remains limited, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Methods: We analysed data collected between 2020 and 2022 from the International epidemiology Databases to Evaluate AIDS (IeDEA) Sentinel Research Network cohort of PWH aged 40 years or older on ART at 11 HIV clinics in Brazil, Côte d'Ivoire, India, Kenya, Mexico, Uganda, Rwanda, Togo, Vietnam, Zambia and Zimbabwe. We estimated the prevalence and co-occurrence of unhealthy alcohol use (AUDIT-C ≥3 for women, ≥4 for men), unhealthy drug use (ASSIST >3 for cannabis, cocaine, amphetamines, inhalants, sedatives, hallucinogens and/or opioids), and moderate to severe symptoms of depression (PHQ-9 ≥10), anxiety (GAD-7 ≥10) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (PCL-5 ≥33). Psychiatric multimorbidity was defined as having symptoms of two or more disorders assessed. Log binomial models assessed the association between socio-demographic and HIV care characteristics and symptoms of anxiety, depression, PTSD or unhealthy substance use. Results: Of 2821 participants, the prevalence of unhealthy alcohol and drug use was 21% and 5%, respectively. The prevalence of moderate to severe symptoms of depression, anxiety and PTSD was 14%, 9% and 6%, respectively. Overall, the prevalence of psychiatric multimorbidity was 11%. Among those with symptoms of at least one mental health or substance use outcome assessed (n = 1036), the prevalence of psychiatric multimorbidity was 31%. In binomial models, the prevalence of symptoms of depression and anxiety was higher, while the prevalence of unhealthy alcohol and drug use was lower among women than men. Conclusions: Unhealthy alcohol use and symptoms of depression were most commonly reported, among this cohort of PWH aged 40 or older across 11 LMICs. Integration of MSD screening and treatment into HIV care should be prioritized. The effectiveness and implementation of transdiagnostic or multi-focus mental health treatment approaches in HIV care settings should be examined.
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    Real-world use and outcomes of dolutegravir-containing antiretroviral therapy in HIV and tuberculosis co-infection: a site survey and cohort study in sub-Saharan Africa
    (Wiley, 2022) Romo, Matthew L.; Brazier, Ellen; Mahambou-Nsondé, Dominique; De Waal, Reneé; Sekaggya-Wiltshire, Christine; Chimbetete, Cleophas; Muyindike, Winnie R.; Murenzi, Gad; Kunzekwenyika, Cordelia; Tiendrebeogo, Thierry; Muhairwe, Josephine A.; Lelo, Patricia; Dzudie, Anastase; Twizere, Christelle; Rafael, Idiovino; Ezechi, Oliver C.; Diero, Lameck; Yotebieng, Marcel; Fenner, Lukas; Wools-Kaloustian, Kara K.; Shah, N. Sarita; Nash, Denis; International epidemiology Databases to Evaluate AIDS (IeDEA); Medicine, School of Medicine
    Introduction: Dolutegravir is being scaled up globally as part of antiretroviral therapy (ART), but for people with HIV and tuberculosis co-infection, its use is complicated by a drug-drug interaction with rifampicin requiring an additional daily dose of dolutegravir. This represents a disadvantage over efavirenz, which does not have a major drug-drug interaction with rifampicin. We sought to describe HIV clinic practices for prescribing concomitant dolutegravir and rifampicin, and characterize virologic outcomes among patients with tuberculosis co-infection receiving dolutegravir or efavirenz. Methods: Within the four sub-Saharan Africa regions of the International epidemiology Databases to Evaluate AIDS consortium, we conducted a site survey (2021) and a cohort study (2015-2021). The cohort study used routine clinical data and included patients newly initiating or already receiving dolutegravir or efavirenz at the time of tuberculosis diagnosis. Patients were followed from tuberculosis diagnosis until viral suppression (<1000 copies/ml), a competing event (switching ART regimen; loss to program/death) or administrative censoring at 12 months. Results: In the survey, 86 of 90 (96%) HIV clinics in 18 countries reported prescribing dolutegravir to patients who were receiving rifampicin as part of tuberculosis treatment, with 77 (90%) reporting that they use twice-daily dosing of dolutegravir, of which 74 (96%) reported having 50 mg tablets available to accommodate twice-daily dosing. The cohort study included 3563 patients in 11 countries, with 67% newly or recently initiating ART. Among patients receiving dolutegravir (n = 465), the cumulative incidence of viral suppression was 58.9% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 54.3-63.3%), switching ART regimen was 4.1% (95% CI: 2.6-6.2%) and loss to program/death was 23.4% (95% CI: 19.7-27.4%). Patients receiving dolutegravir had improved viral suppression compared with patients receiving efavirenz who had a tuberculosis diagnosis before site dolutegravir availability (adjusted subdistribution hazard ratio [aSHR]: 1.47, 95% CI: 1.28-1.68) and after site dolutegravir availability (aSHR 1.28, 95% CI: 1.08-1.51). Conclusions: At a programmatic level, dolutegravir was being widely prescribed in sub-Saharan Africa for people with HIV and tuberculosis co-infection with a dose adjustment for the drug-drug interaction with rifampicin. Despite this more complex regimen, our cohort study revealed that dolutegravir did not negatively impact viral suppression.
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    Viral Load Status Before Switching to Dolutegravir-Containing Antiretroviral Therapy and Associations With Human Immunodeficiency Virus Treatment Outcomes in Sub-Saharan Africa
    (Oxford University Press, 2022) Romo, Matthew L.; Edwards, Jessie K.; Semeere, Aggrey S.; Musick, Beverly S.; Urassa, Mark; Odhiambo, Francesca; Diero, Lameck; Kasozi, Charles; Murenzi, Gad; Lelo, Patricia; Wyka, Katarzyna; Kelvin, Elizabeth A.; Sohn, Annette H.; Wools-Kaloustian, Kara K.; Nash, Denis; International epidemiology Databases to Evaluate AIDS (IeDEA); Biostatistics, School of Public Health
    Background: Dolutegravir is being rolled out globally as part of preferred antiretroviral therapy (ART) regimens, including among treatment-experienced patients. The role of viral load (VL) testing before switching patients already on ART to a dolutegravir-containing regimen is less clear in real-world settings. Methods: We included patients from the International epidemiology Databases to Evaluate AIDS consortium who switched from a nevirapine- or efavirenz-containing regimen to one with dolutegravir. We used multivariable cause-specific hazards regression to estimate the association of the most recent VL test in the 12 months before switching with subsequent outcomes. Results: We included 36 393 patients at 37 sites in 5 countries (Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda) who switched to dolutegravir from July 2017 through February 2020, with a median follow-up of approximately 11 months. Compared with those who switched with a VL <200 copies/mL, patients without a recent VL test or with a preswitch VL ≥1000 copies/mL had significantly increased hazards of an incident VL ≥1000 copies/mL (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 2.89; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.99-4.19 and aHR, 6.60; 95% CI, 4.36-9.99, respectively) and pulmonary tuberculosis or a World Health Organization clinical stage 4 event (aHR, 4.78; 95% CI, 2.77-8.24 and aHR, 13.97; 95% CI, 6.62-29.50, respectively). Conclusions: A VL test before switching to dolutegravir may help identify patients who need additional clinical monitoring and/or adherence support. Further surveillance of patients who switched to dolutegravir with an unknown or unsuppressed VL is needed.