Browsing by Author "Huwa J"

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Drug Resistance in People With Viremia on Dolutegravir-based Antiretroviral Therapy in Sub-Saharan Africa: The DTG RESIST Study.
(2025-May-20) Loosli T; Moore CB; Buzaalirwa L; Byakwaga H; Çelikağ İ; Chimbetete C; Ebasone PV; Giandhari J; Han N; Huwa J; Kasozi C; Mafoua A; Messou E; Minga A; Muula G; Muyindike W; Ndala ACM; Sauermann M; Semeere A; Singh L; Kouyos RD; Lessells R; Egger M
Dolutegravir resistance is an increasing concern. An analysis of the DTG RESIST study found that among 227 integrase sequences from 7 African countries (all non-B subtypes), 59 (26.0%) had at least 1 major drug resistance mutation (primarily G118R and E138A/K/T), with 49 (21.6%) predicted to have high-level resistance to dolutegravir.
Mental, physical, and respiratory health in people with tuberculosis in Southern Africa: a multi-country cohort analysis.
(2025-Aug-20) Banholzer N; Muula G; Mureithi F; Evans D; Huwa J; Rafael I; Kunzekwenyika C; Jinga N; Fernando A; Thawani A; Schmutz R; Bolton C; Günther G; Egger M; Haas AD; Sweetland AC; Ballif M; Fenner L
BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) affects people's quality of life (QoL). We prospectively monitored physical and mental health-related QoL over time in people with TB in the Southern African region with a high HIV and TB burden. METHODS: Adults aged ≥ 15 years with pulmonary TB were enrolled in five cohorts in Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe from October 2022 to September 2024. We assessed six QoL outcomes using validated instruments at the start (baseline), end of treatment, and 6 months post-treatment: symptoms of depression (PHQ-9), mental and physical health (SF-12 mental, SF12-MC, SF-12 physical component, SF12-PC), physical fitness (6-Minute Walk Test, 6MWT; 1-min Sit-To-Stand Test, STST), and respiratory health (Saint-George-Respiratory-Questionnaire, SGRQ). Missing QoL scores were imputed with multivariate imputation by chained equations. We compared the proportion of participants with impaired QoL, defining impairment based on outcome-specific cut-off values. We also estimated changes in QoL scores and examined their associations with baseline characteristics using Bayesian multivariable regression models. RESULTS: We included 1438 participants with a median follow-up of 344 days (interquartile range [IQR] 183-373). The median age was 39 years (IQR 30-50); 67% were male, and 39% living with HIV. At baseline, 49% had symptoms of depression, 73% had impaired mental health and 92% impaired physical health-related QoL, 68-74% had reduced physical fitness (68%: 6MWT, 74%: STST), and 78% impaired respiratory health. All QoL outcomes improved by the end of treatment, notably depressive symptoms (48% to 5%), mental health-related QoL (73% to 28%), and respiratory health (78% to 11%). Most QoL impairments continued to decrease post-treatment, especially physical and respiratory health; depressive symptoms remained below 5%. Across QoL domains and study visits, better outcomes were associated with age < 30 (83% probability), and worse outcomes with female gender (86%) and a prior TB history (89%). Living with HIV and alcohol drinking were associated with worse QoL only at baseline (88% and 87%). CONCLUSIONS: TB negatively impacts QoL across physical, mental, and social domains, including post-treatment. The study highlights the need for integrated mental and physical healthcare and rehabilitation during TB treatment and beyond, especially for high-risk populations, to address the long-term impact of TB on QoL.
Scale of differentiated service delivery implementation in HIV care facilities in low- and middle-income countries: a global facility survey.
(2025-Jul) Fernández Villalobos NV; Helfenstein F; Khol V; Twizere C; Secco M; Castelnuovo B; Huwa J; Tiendredbeogo T; Wester CW; Fong SM; Murenzi G; Caro-Vega Y; Lyamuya RE; Rafael I; Zannou DM; Petoumenos K; Nsonde DM; Pinto J; Wools-Kaloustian K; Moore CB; Takassi OE; Kiertiburanakul S; Awoh RA; Ali SM; Fatti G; Malateste K; Zaniewski E; Ballif M
INTRODUCTION: In 2016, the World Health Organization recommended differentiated service delivery (DSD) as a client-centred approach to simplify HIV care in frequency and intensity, thus reducing the clinic visit burden on individuals and HIV programmes. We describe the scale of DSD implementation among HIV facilities in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in Latin America, Africa and the Asia-Pacific before the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: We analysed facility-level survey data from HIV care facilities participating in the International epidemiology Databases to Evaluate AIDS consortium in 2019. We used descriptive statistics to summarise the availability of DSD, multi-month dispensing (MMD) and DSD for HIV treatment models. We explored factors associated with DSD implementation using multivariable models. RESULTS: We included 175 facilities in the Asia-Pacific (n = 30), Latin America (n = 8), Central Africa (n = 21), East Africa (n = 74), Southern Africa (n = 28) and West Africa (n = 14). Overall, 133 facilities (76%) reported implementing DSD. Of these, 91% offered DSD for HIV treatment, 61% for HIV testing and 59% for antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation. The most common duration of ART refills for clinically stable clients was 3MMD, (70%), followed by monthly (14%) and 6MMD (10%). Facility-based individual models were the most frequently available DSD for the HIV treatment model (82%), followed by client-managed group models (60%). Out-of-facility individual models were available at 48% of facilities. Facility-based individual models were particularly common among facilities in East (92%) and Southern Africa (96%). Facilities in medium and high HIV prevalence countries, and those with 3MMD, were more likely to implement DSD. CONCLUSIONS: In 2019, DSD was available in most HIV care facilities globally but was not evenly implemented across regions and HIV services. Most offered facility-based DSD for HIV treatment models and 3MMD for clinically stable clients. Efforts to expand DSD for HIV testing and ART initiation and to offer longer MMD can improve long-term retention in care of people living with HIV in LMICs, while further alleviating the operational burden on healthcare services. These findings from the pre-COVID-19 era underline the need for strengthening DSD in HIV care, which remains at the centre of current efforts towards client-centred care.
The long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tuberculosis care and infection control measures in anti-retroviral therapy (ART) clinics in low- and middle-income countries: a multiregional site survey in Asia and Africa.
(2025-Mar-24) Ballif M; Banholzer N; Perrig L; Avihingsanon A; Nsonde DM; Obatsa S; Muula G; Komena E; Uemura H; Lelo P; Otaalo B; Huwa J; Gouéssé P; Kumarasamy N; Brazier E; Michael D; Rafael I; Ramdé R; Somia IKA; Yotebieng M; Diero L; Euvrard J; Ezechi O; Fenner L
BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic challenged healthcare systems, particularly in settings with high infectious disease burden. We examined the postpandemic long-term impacts of COVID-19 on tuberculosis (TB) services at anti-retroviral therapy (ART) clinics in lower-income countries. METHODS: Using standardised online questionnaires, we conducted a cross-sectional site survey among ART clinics providing TB services in Africa and Asia from July to September 2023 (site-level information and number of TB diagnoses and tests). RESULTS: Of 45 participating ART clinics, 32 (71%) were in Africa and 13 (29%) in Asia. During the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2022), 43 (96%) clinics reported implementing social distancing or separation measures, 39 (87%) personal protections for staff members and 32 (71%) protections for patients. Infection control measures were in place in 45% of the clinics before the pandemic (until 2019), 23% introduced measures during the pandemic and 15% maintained them after the pandemic (after 2022). Service provision was affected during the pandemic in 33 (73%) clinics, including TB services in 22 (49%) clinics. TB service restrictions were addressed by introducing changes in directly observed therapy provision in 8 (18%) clinics, multimonth TB drug dispensing in 23 (51%), telehealth services in 25 (56%) and differentiated service delivery in 19 (42%). These changes were sustained after the pandemic at 4 (9%), 11 (24%), 17 (38%) and 12 (27%) clinics, respectively. Compared with 2018-2019, the number of TB diagnoses decreased sharply in 2020-2021 and improved after the pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 affected TB care services in ART clinics in Africa and Asia. This was paralleled by a reduction in TB diagnoses, which partly resumed after the pandemic. Infection control measures and alternative modes of service delivery were adopted during the pandemic and only partially maintained. Efforts should be made to sustain the lessons learnt during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly approaches that reduce the risk of transmission of infectious diseases, including TB, in ART clinics.
Virologic Failure and Drug Resistance After Programmatic Switching to Dolutegravir-based First-line Antiretroviral Therapy in Malawi and Zambia.
(2025-Feb-05) Skrivankova VW; Huwa J; Muula G; Chiwaya GD; Banda E; Buleya S; Chihota B; Chintedza J; Bolton C; Tweya H; Kalua T; Hossmann S; Kouyos R; Wandeler G; Egger M; Lessells RJ
BACKGROUND: People with human immunodeficiency virus (PWH) on first-line, nonnucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitor-based antiretroviral therapy (ART) were routinely switched to tenofovir-lamivudine-dolutegravir. We examined virologic outcomes and drug resistance in ART programs in Malawi, where switching was irrespective of viral load, and Zambia, where switching depended on a viral load <1000 copies/mL in the past year. METHODS: We compared the risk of viremia (≥400 copies/mL) at 1 and 2 years by viral load at switch and between countries using exact methods and logistic regression adjusted for age and sex. We performed HIV-1 pol Sanger sequencing on plasma samples with viral load ≥1000 copies/mL. RESULTS: A total of 2832 PWH were eligible (Malawi 1422, Zambia 1410); the median age was 37 years, and 2578 (91.0%) were women. At switch, 77 (5.4%) were viremic in Malawi and 42 (3.0%) in Zambia (P = .001). Viremia at switch was associated with viremia at 1 year (adjusted odds ratio (OR), 6.15; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.13-11.4) and 2 years (7.0; 95% CI, 3.73-12.6). Viremia was less likely in Zambia than in Malawi at 1 year (OR, 0.55; 0.32-0.94) and 2 years (OR, 0.33; 0.18-0.57). Integrase sequencing was successful for 79 of 113 eligible samples. Drug resistance mutations were found in 5 PWH (Malawi 4, Zambia 1); 2 had major mutations (G118R, E138K, T66A and G118R, E138K) leading to high-level dolutegravir resistance. CONCLUSIONS: Restricting switching to dolutegravir-based ART to PWH with a viral load <1000 copies/mL may reduce subsequent viremia and, consequently, the emergence of dolutegravir drug resistance mutations. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04612452).