Impact of Intensive Adherence Counseling on Viral Load Suppression and Mortality Among People Living with HIV in Kampala, Uganda: A Regression Discontinuity Design

Abstract

Intensive adherence counseling (IAC) is recommended for people living with HIV (PLHIV) with viral load (VL) 1,000 copies/ml after 6 months of anti-retroviral therapy (ART). We evaluated the effect of IAC on VL suppression and all-cause mortality among PLHIV on first-line ART with VL 1,000 copies/ml after 6 months of ART in Kampala, Uganda using regression discontinuity design, a quasi-experimental method for effect estimation when interventions depend on a cut-off.