Non-adherence to Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy and Occurrence of Opportunistic Infections among Adult Clients Accessing Care at a Secondary Health Facility in Imo State Nigeria

Background: Non-adherence remains an issue of concern in highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART). It has been reported to reduce the immunological benefit of this regimen, while increasing morbidities and mortalities associated with HIV/AIDS.

Objective: To determine the relationships between non-adherence to HAART and occurrence of opportunistic infections (OIs) among adult HIV clients accessing care in a secondary health facility in Imo state Nigeria.

Materials and Methods: This was a health facility-based descriptive cross-sectional study of 350 respondents, selected by systematic sampling technique. Data were collected by interview using semi-structured questionnaire and analysed with statistical package for social sciences version 22.0. Test of statistical significance was done using chi-square test, while statistical significance was set at p value ≤ 0.05.

Results: Majority 220 (62.9%) of respondents were females, 218 (62.3%) were currently married, 263 (75.1%) attained at most secondary level of education, while 259 (74%) were resident outside the study area. Twenty (5.7%) of them were non adherent to HAART and reasons cited include: fourteen (4%) forgetting to take medicine and 11 (3.1%) drug is out of stock. Fifty seven (16.7%) ever had OIs with oral thrush 21 (36.8%) as the commonest. There was an association between non- adherence to HAART and occurrence of OIs (p=0.000).

Conclusions: This survey found an association between non- adherence to HAART and occurrence of OIs. We recommend interventions that combine early treatment of OIs and gender cum couple targeted behavioral change communication in addressing non-adherence.