Assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on uptake of HIV treatment in Bandung and Yogyakarta, Indonesia: A retrospective cohort study.

ABSTRACT: COVID-19 pandemic known to affect health service deliveries including for HIV care support and treatment. In this retrospective study involving 2,780 people living with HIV (PLHIV), we evaluated impact of COVID-19 pandemic by comparing the proportion of PLHIV linked to care, started antiretroviral therapy (ART), retained in care (within the first 3 months of treatment), and adhered to ART (within the first 3 months of treatment) between the pre-pandemic period (2018-2019) and pandemic period (2020-2021) in Yogyakarta and Bandung, Indonesia. Our study showed that during the pandemic period the number of PLHIV linked to care was 18% lower (1,529 vs 1,251) and those retained in care was significantly lower (59.6% vs 53.3%, p = 0.0009) than the pre-pandemic period. Whereas, proportion in ART i

SUBMITTER: Mashuri YA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12725531 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature