People living with hiv (plhiv) and access to antiretrovirals in the sakassou health district (central Côte d'Ivoire)

The fight against HIV/AIDS is based on screening, treatment and biological examination. Access to antiretroviral (ARV) treatment, the second component of the fight against HIV/AIDS, is effective in the Sakassou Health District. Despite these efforts, the Sakassou Health District remains a high-risk area. The aim of this study is to analyze the determinants of access to antiretroviral drugs for people living with HIV (PLHIV) in the Sakassou Health District. The study revealed that 91.5% of PLHIV are over 18 years of age. In terms of gender structure, 80% of PLWHA are women and 20% men. In terms of geographical accessibility, 63.5% of PLWHA are more than 5 km from a health center. The remoteness of the majority of PLHIV from health centers is an obstacle to access to antiretroviral treatment. Some 96.8% of PLHIV are regularly taking their antiretroviral treatment. However, 3.2% have experienced interruptions in their antiretroviral treatment. Interruption of antiretroviral treatment among PLWHA is significantly associated with excessive alcohol consumption, recourse to prayer camps, food insecurity, denial of HIV status and stigmatization. This study leads to the conclusion that improving access to antiretrovirals is a guarantee of health security for PLWHA.