{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,18]],"date-time":"2026-08-18T02:29:35Z","timestamp":1787020175164,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":39,"publisher":"Springer Science and Business Media LLC","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,24]],"date-time":"2026-02-24T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1771891200000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,30]],"date-time":"2026-03-30T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1774828800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":34,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["link.springer.com"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["BMC Infect Dis"],"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Enhanced adherence counseling (EAC) is given to patients with high viral loads (over 1000 copies\/ml) to improve Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) adherence, with sessions occurring monthly for three months. A follow-up viral load test is conducted afterwards, but there is a lack of evidence on the impact of EAC on viral load reduction, highlighting the need for further research.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Objective<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This study aimed to assess the time to viral load suppression and its predictors among clients receiving EAC at Mattu Karl Comprehensive Specialized Hospital and public hospitals in Gambella town, southwest Ethiopia, 2024.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A retrospective follow-up study was conducted among 403 randomly selected patients on EAC at Gambella town hospitals and Mettu Karl Comprehensive Specialized Hospital from January 2019 to December 2023. Data were extracted from patient records and analyzed using STATA. Both bivariate and multivariable survival models were used, with a Cox proportional hazard model to identify predictors for viral load suppression. A p-value\u2009&lt;\u20090.05 was considered statistically significant.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The incidence density rate of viral load non-suppression among ART-attending patients was 12.19 (95% CI: 10.9\u201313.6) per 100 person-months. In the multivariable survival analysis, participants who received Cotrimoxazole Preventive Therapy(CPT) (adjusted HR\u2009=\u20091.55 (95% CI: 1.0\u20132.3)), disclosed their HIV status (adjusted HR\u2009=\u20091.62 (95% CI: 1.1\u20132.3)), had fair adherence to ART (adjusted HR\u2009=\u20091.8 (95% CI: 1.1\u20133.1)), and had no opportunistic infections (adjusted HR\u2009=\u20092.13 (95% CI: 1.3\u20136.1)) were independent predictors of viral load suppression.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The study found a lower median time to viral load suppression compared to previous Ethiopian studies. Key predictors of suppression included receiving CPT, disclosing HIV status, adhering to ART, and not having opportunistic infections. Emphasis should be placed on providing CPT, encouraging status disclosure, and improving opportunistic infection management.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1186\/s12879-026-12957-9","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,24]],"date-time":"2026-02-24T09:19:53Z","timestamp":1771924793000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Time to viral load suppression after enhanced adherence counseling among HIV patients attending antiretroviral therapy in Southwest Ethiopia"],"prefix":"10.1186","volume":"26","author":[{"given":"Haymanot","family":"Berihun","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0004-0167-0126","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Abel","family":"Felege","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Daniel","family":"Girma","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Dereje","family":"Tsegaye","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,24]]},"reference":[{"key":"12957_CR1","unstructured":"UNAIDS Global AIDS Update 2024: The Urgency of Now: AIDS at a Crossroads. 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Upon receiving permission from the respective regional authorities and health facilities, Informed consent was not applicable for this study as we used secondary data. However, ethical clearance and permission to access the data were obtained from the responsible authorities. and Data were extracted from patient charts, electronic medical records (EMRs), ART registries, high-viral-load registers, and high-viral-load registration books. The study was conducted following the relevant guidelines, regulations, and principles of the Helsinki Declaration [\n                      \n                      ]. Data were extracted from clinical registration records, and consent was obtained through documentation already recorded in the patient files, consistent with institutional guidelines and ethical standards. Data confidentiality was strictly maintained at all levels by avoiding personal identifiers, and the data were used exclusively for the purposes of this research. Finally, the recorded data were kept safe by locking them in a secure location, accessible only by the principal investigator.","order":2,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Ethics approval and consent of participation"}},{"value":"Not applicable.","order":3,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Consent for publication"}},{"value":"The authors declare no competing interests.","order":4,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Competing interests"}}],"article-number":"676"}}