The Impact of Task-shifting Intervention on Retention-in-Care of PLHIV in North Central Nigeria

Abstract

The HIV/AIDS pandemic was first announced in Nigeria in Nigeria in 1986. Since then the prevalence rate has continued to rise and decline. The prevalence rate for 2019 in the NorthCentral Zone was 2.0 percent, which was considered to be higher than the national average. The fact that only a limited number of physicians are available to provide services also raised a serious social-health problem. Task-force intervention was therefore introduced to shift HIV/AIDS management from physicians to nurses in the hope that it will enhance retention of patients in care. This study was therefore, undertaken to see the extent to which taskshifting intervention has achieved that objective. Respondents were drawn from IHVN treatment sites in Benue and Nasarawa state, as well as the FCT, Abuja. Both qualitative and quantitative techniques of data collection were carried on 443 respondents, out of which responses from 362 were assessed. The findings revealed a positive significant relationship between task-shifting and retention of clients in care. However, only ―reduction in workload‖ and ―retention of clients‖ significantly influenced the satisfaction of patients with taskshifting intervention. There was likelihood that as many patients were now attending clinic due to task-shifting intervention, the ―waiting time‖ will may increase, and may exert adverse effect on retention in care. The study, therefore recommended that more health care workers should be employed and trained on task-shifting skills.