COVID-19 and the HIV care continuum in Uganda: minimising collateral damage [version 2; peer review: 2 approved, 1 approved with reservations]

The novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, has spread across the world within months of its first description in Wuhan, China in December 2019, resulting in an unprecedented global health emergency. Whilst Europe and North America are the current epicentres of infection, the global health community are prep...

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Main Authors: Enock Kagimu, Jane Gakuru, Emily M. Martyn, Morris K Rutakingirwa, John Kasibante, Kenneth Ssebambulidde, Richard Kwizera, Jayne Ellis, Darlisha Williams, David B. Meya, Fiona V Cresswell
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: F1000 Research Ltd 2021-03-01
Series:Open Research Africa
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Online Access:https://openresearchafrica.org/articles/3-28/v2
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author Enock Kagimu
Jane Gakuru
Emily M. Martyn
Morris K Rutakingirwa
John Kasibante
Kenneth Ssebambulidde
Richard Kwizera
Jayne Ellis
Darlisha Williams
David B. Meya
Fiona V Cresswell
author_facet Enock Kagimu
Jane Gakuru
Emily M. Martyn
Morris K Rutakingirwa
John Kasibante
Kenneth Ssebambulidde
Richard Kwizera
Jayne Ellis
Darlisha Williams
David B. Meya
Fiona V Cresswell
author_sort Enock Kagimu
collection DOAJ
description The novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, has spread across the world within months of its first description in Wuhan, China in December 2019, resulting in an unprecedented global health emergency. Whilst Europe and North America are the current epicentres of infection, the global health community are preparing for the potential effects of this new disease on the African continent. Modelling studies predict that factors such as  youthful and rural population may be protective in mitigating the spread of COVID-19 in the World Health Organisation (WHO) African Region, however, with 220 million infections and 4.6 million hospitalisations predicted in the first year of the pandemic alone, fragile health systems could still be placed under significant strain. Furthermore, subsequent disruptions to the provision of services for people living with HIV, or at risk of acquiring HIV, are predicted to lead to an extra 500,000 adult HIV deaths and a 2-fold increase in mother to child transmission of HIV in sub-Saharan Africa in 2020-2021. Ignoring these predictions may have severe consequences and we risk “stepping back in time” in AIDS-related deaths to numbers seen over a decade ago. Reflecting on our current experience of the COVID-19 pandemic in Uganda, we explore the potential impact of public health measures implemented to mitigate spread of COVID-19 on the HIV care continuum, and suggest areas of focus for HIV services, policy makers and governments to urgently address in order to minimise the collateral damage.
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spelling doaj-art-d762cc12ef69469ca57b3dff7dbb9b972025-08-20T01:58:54ZengF1000 Research LtdOpen Research Africa2752-69252021-03-01310.12688/aasopenres.13099.214316COVID-19 and the HIV care continuum in Uganda: minimising collateral damage [version 2; peer review: 2 approved, 1 approved with reservations]Enock Kagimu0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0291-651XJane Gakuru1Emily M. Martyn2https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4981-9298Morris K Rutakingirwa3https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2276-360XJohn Kasibante4Kenneth Ssebambulidde5Richard Kwizera6https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5270-3539Jayne Ellis7Darlisha Williams8David B. Meya9Fiona V Cresswell10https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5070-532XInfectious Diseases Institute, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, UgandaInfectious Diseases Institute, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, UgandaInfectious Diseases Institute, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, UgandaInfectious Diseases Institute, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, UgandaInfectious Diseases Institute, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, UgandaInfectious Diseases Institute, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, UgandaInfectious Diseases Institute, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, UgandaInfectious Diseases Institute, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, UgandaInfectious Diseases Institute, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, UgandaInfectious Diseases Institute, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, UgandaInfectious Diseases Institute, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, UgandaThe novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, has spread across the world within months of its first description in Wuhan, China in December 2019, resulting in an unprecedented global health emergency. Whilst Europe and North America are the current epicentres of infection, the global health community are preparing for the potential effects of this new disease on the African continent. Modelling studies predict that factors such as  youthful and rural population may be protective in mitigating the spread of COVID-19 in the World Health Organisation (WHO) African Region, however, with 220 million infections and 4.6 million hospitalisations predicted in the first year of the pandemic alone, fragile health systems could still be placed under significant strain. Furthermore, subsequent disruptions to the provision of services for people living with HIV, or at risk of acquiring HIV, are predicted to lead to an extra 500,000 adult HIV deaths and a 2-fold increase in mother to child transmission of HIV in sub-Saharan Africa in 2020-2021. Ignoring these predictions may have severe consequences and we risk “stepping back in time” in AIDS-related deaths to numbers seen over a decade ago. Reflecting on our current experience of the COVID-19 pandemic in Uganda, we explore the potential impact of public health measures implemented to mitigate spread of COVID-19 on the HIV care continuum, and suggest areas of focus for HIV services, policy makers and governments to urgently address in order to minimise the collateral damage.https://openresearchafrica.org/articles/3-28/v2COVID-19 HIV care PLWHIV Opportunistic infections sub-Saharan Africaeng
spellingShingle Enock Kagimu
Jane Gakuru
Emily M. Martyn
Morris K Rutakingirwa
John Kasibante
Kenneth Ssebambulidde
Richard Kwizera
Jayne Ellis
Darlisha Williams
David B. Meya
Fiona V Cresswell
COVID-19 and the HIV care continuum in Uganda: minimising collateral damage [version 2; peer review: 2 approved, 1 approved with reservations]
Open Research Africa
COVID-19
HIV care
PLWHIV
Opportunistic infections
sub-Saharan Africa
eng
title COVID-19 and the HIV care continuum in Uganda: minimising collateral damage [version 2; peer review: 2 approved, 1 approved with reservations]
title_full COVID-19 and the HIV care continuum in Uganda: minimising collateral damage [version 2; peer review: 2 approved, 1 approved with reservations]
title_fullStr COVID-19 and the HIV care continuum in Uganda: minimising collateral damage [version 2; peer review: 2 approved, 1 approved with reservations]
title_full_unstemmed COVID-19 and the HIV care continuum in Uganda: minimising collateral damage [version 2; peer review: 2 approved, 1 approved with reservations]
title_short COVID-19 and the HIV care continuum in Uganda: minimising collateral damage [version 2; peer review: 2 approved, 1 approved with reservations]
title_sort covid 19 and the hiv care continuum in uganda minimising collateral damage version 2 peer review 2 approved 1 approved with reservations
topic COVID-19
HIV care
PLWHIV
Opportunistic infections
sub-Saharan Africa
eng
url https://openresearchafrica.org/articles/3-28/v2
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