Access to plasma viral load in people living with HIV under treatment in Ouagadougou and Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso

Objectives: Less than 25% of people living with HIV (PLWHIV) achieved plasma viral load (PVL) in 2020 in Burkina Faso. This study aimed to identify factors associated with access to PVL in Ouagadougou and Bobo-Dioulasso. Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among PLWHIV in Burkina Faso between April 15 and August 8, 2022. The proportion of PLWHIV with PVL after at least 6 months of treatment was calculated, and the associated factors were determined by logistic regression. Results: A total of 308 PLWHIV were included in the study; 64.9% (95% confidence interval [CI] 58.3-71.5) of PLWHIVs had PVL, 66.2% (95% CI 52.1-80.3) among men. Therapeutic education on the importance of PVL was associated with a 1.79-fold increase in the chance of achieving PVL (adjusted odds ratio [ORa] 2.32, 95% CI 1.42-3.78, P = 0.01). Also, a PLWHIV followed at the medical center with a surgical antenna has a 31% chance of achieving PVL. Conclusions: Access to PVL is not optimal in Burkina Faso. Efforts must therefore be made to strengthen therapeutic education for PLWHIV and mobilize more associations in favor of this essential examination for the follow-up of patients.