HIV Care Continuum in Jimma, Southwest Ethiopia: A Multiphase Mixed Methods Study

Introduction: The HIV care continuum framework aims to provide a linked continuum of care through diagnosis, effective treatment and patient monitoring. Significant progress has been achieved in the antiretroviral therapy (ART) era, but several challenges have also hampered its ultimate success. These include: late HIV care presentation (LP), discontinuation from pre-ART and ART, poor adherence to ART and immunological failure. The aims of this thesis were four-fold, to: (i) review the available evidence on ART discontinuation in Ethiopia, (ii) examine the whole continuum of HIV care, (iii) explore the facilitators, barriers and solutions of HIV care and treatment (HCT), and (iv) develop consensus-based solutions for improving access to and utilization of HCT in Southwest Ethiopia.