Page 126 - GHES-3-1

Global Health Economics and
Sustainability

ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE
Factors influencing adherence to antiretroviral

treatment among people living with HIV
aged 15 – 60 years at Cité des Palmiers District

Hospital, Cameroon

1
Godfroy Rostant Pokam Djoko * , Eric Martin Nomo , Laura Ladouce Yanguem ,
2
1
Protais Cédric Mouenbori Sawi , Alexis Bagoïdi Ngouldang , and Alice Ketchaji 5
4
3
1 Research Unit of Applied Biology and Ecology of the University of Dschang, Dschang, Cameroon
2 Department of Public Health, School of Health Sciences of the Catholic University of Central Africa;
BP Yaoundé - Cameroon
3 Biochemistry Research Unit of Medicinal Plants, Food Science and Nutrition of the University of
Dschang, Dschang, Cameroon
4 Department of Philosophy and Psychology, Faculty of Arts, Letters and Humanities of the University
of Maroua, Maroua, Cameroon
5 Department of Diseases, Epidemics and Pandemics, Ministry of Public Health, Yaoundé, Cameroon

Academic editor:
Mihajlo Jakovljevic M.D. Ph.D. MAE Abstract
*Corresponding author: Antiretroviral therapy (ART), essential for halting the progression of human
Godfroy Rostant Pokam Djoko immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) infection
(godfroydjoko@gmail.com)
and restoring immunity, should be taken regularly to be effective. This study aimed
Citation: Djoko, G.R.P., Nomo, to assess the factors that may affect adherence to ART among people living with
E.M., Yanguem, L.L., Sawi, P.C.M.,
Ngouldang, A.B. & Ketchaji, HIV (PLHIV) aged between 15 and 60 years at the Cité des Palmiers District Hospital.
A. (2025). Factors influencing Thus, we conducted a descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study using a
adherence to antiretroviral non-probabilistic, convenience survey. Data were collected using a questionnaire
treatment among people living
with HIV aged 15 – 60 years at administered to PLHIV aged between 15 and 65 years (n = 309). These factors affecting
Cité des Palmiers District Hospital, adherence were established by determining relative and absolute frequencies, and
Cameroon. Global Health Econ associations were estimated by calculating the odds ratios, confidence intervals, and
Sustain, 3(1):118-129.
https://doi.org/10.36922/ghes.4077 P-values. Subsequently, 48.5% of participants were found to comply with ART and
51.5% were not. The independent predictors of poor adherence to ART were missed
Received: June 29, 2024
appointments at the HIV unit, occasional use of excitants/cigarettes, fear of disclosing
Revised: August 10, 2024 HIV status, perceived limited opening hours of HIV-related services, discomfort with
Accepted: August 28, 2024 medication, recent initiation of treatment, and use of therapy reminders. Our study
results are essential to orient public health policies and measures toward PLHIV non-
Published online: October 3, 2024
adherents to ART treatment and mitigate the social, economic, and health impact of
Copyright: © 2024 Author(s). HIV threats on developing countries by focusing on good adherence.
This is an Open-Access article
distributed under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution Keywords: HIV; Antiretroviral therapy; Influencing factors; Therapeutic adherence;
License, permitting distribution, Cité des Palmiers
and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original work is
properly cited.
Publisher’s Note: AccScience
Publishing remains neutral with 1. Introduction
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional More than 39 million people have died since the onset of the human immunodeficiency
affiliations. virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) epidemic (UNAIDS, 2022a).

Volume 3 Issue 1 (2025) 118 https://doi.org/10.36922/ghes.4077