Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on HIV prevention and care services among key populations across 15 cities in India: a longitudinal assessment of clinic-based data.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic has threatened to diminish gains in HIV epidemic control and impacts are likely most profound among key populations in resource-limited settings. We aimed to understand the pandemic's impact on HIV-related service utilization among men who have sex with men (MSM) and people who inject drugs (PWID) across India.

Methods

Beginning in 2013, we established integrated care centres (ICCs) which provide HIV preventive and treatment services to MSM and PWID across 15 Indian sites. We examined utilization patterns for an 18-month period covering 2 months preceding the pandemic (January-February 2020) and over the first and second COVID-19 waves in India (March 2020-June 2021). We assessed: (1) unique clients accessing any ICC service, (2) ICC servic

SUBMITTER: McFall AM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9273869 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature