Retention and sustained viral suppression in HIV patients transferred to community refill centres in Kinshasa, DRC.

SETTING

In 2010, Médecins Sans Frontières set up decentralised community antiretroviral therapy (ART) refill centres ("", PODI) for the follow-up of stable human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients.

OBJECTIVE

To assess retention in care and sustained viral suppression after transfer to three main PODI in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) (PODI Barumbu/Central, PODI Binza Ozone/West and PODI Masina I/East).

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study using routine programme data for adult HIV patients transferred from Kabinda Hospital to PODIs between January 2015 and June 2017.

RESULTS

A total of 337 patients were transferred to PODIs: 306 (91%) were on ART for at least 12 months; 118 (39%) had a routine "12-month" viral load (VL) done, 93% ( 110) of whom had a suppressed VL <1000 copies/ml. Median time from enrolment into PODI to 12-month routine VL was 14.6 months (IQR 12.2-20.8). Kaplan-Meier estimates of retention in care at 6, 12 and 18 months after enrolment into PODIs were respectively 96%, 92% and 88%.

CONCLUSION

Retention in care and viral suppression among patients in PODI with VL results were better than patients in clinic care and national outcomes.