Adherence to Antiretroviral Therapy in Adults: A Guide for Trainers

Over the last five years, there has been a rapid change in treatment strategies for HIV infection. With the advent of newer antiretrovirals, treatment has moved from mono-therapy and bi-therapy to triple drug therapy or Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy. One of the foremost concerns of ARV programs is the ability of people living with HIV/AIDS to maintain near perfect adherence over the long term. To achieve the goal of antiretroviral therapy (ART), undetectable levels of the virus in the blood, patients are required to maintain more than 90–95% adherence. Adherence is defined as a patient’s ability to follow a treatment plan, take medications at prescribed times and frequencies, and follow restrictions regarding food and other medications. This Adherence Training Manual was developed by the Horizons Program of the Population Council for the Antiretroviral Therapy Program in Mombasa, Kenya. It was designed for health workers including physicians, clinical officers, and adherence nurse counselors in ARV programs. It consists of four modules to be conducted over four sessions, which can be conducted as part of a comprehensive ART training program.