University Publications

Background: In 2018, Sudanese adults living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus -1were 55000, among them, only 9000 (15%) were on antiretroviral therapy but no data is available regarding the number of patients living with HIV who have been able to suppress viral loads. Objectives: This study aimed to detect antiretroviral treatment failure in adult patients with Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 (HIV-1) on anti-retroviral therapy for 12±3 months in Khartoum state, Sudan. Methods: A hundred and ten adult HIV-1 patients attending four Voluntary Counseling Testing and treatment centers (VCT/ART) distributed in Khartoum state, Sudan were included in this study from February 2019 to February 2020. Patient data were collected from management records and blood samples were collected from them. The HIV-1 viral load was assessed using real-time PCR (Cepheid Xpert HIV-1 viral load plasma assay). Results: Out of 110 HIV-1 patients enrolled, only 18.2% (20/110) showed unsuppressed viral load (treatment failure). The majority of patients [30% (6/20)] were from the 39-48 years old age group, and most of them [55% (11/20)]were stage 3 according to WHO clinical staging. The male-female ratio was equal. Conclusion: Although the sample size of this study does not represent the whole population, it highlights the presence of treatment failure among HIV-1 patients in Sudan. The establishment of a good treatment program and routine and regular patient follow-up can decrease viral load suppression failure and improve treatment outcomes.