HIV testing and ART initiation in people who inject drugs and are placed on methadone in Kachin State, Myanmar

People who inject drugs (PWID) enrolled for methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) and never previously tested for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in Myitkyina Drug Dependency Treatment Hospital, Myitkyina, Kachin State, Myanmar.

To compare before (2016) and after (2018) adoption of 'Test and Treat' guidelines for antiretroviral therapy (ART): 1) the demographic profile of PWID, 2) HIV testing uptake and ART initiation in those diagnosed HIV-positive, and 3) time taken for events.

This was a cohort study using secondary programme data.

In 2016 and 2018, there were respectively 141 and 146 PWID: all were male except for one female and age distribution between the 2 years was similar. In 2018, significantly more PWID were HIV-tested than in 2016 (85% vs. 45%; P ≤ 0.001). Among those tested, the proportions who were HIV-positive were similar (37% in 2016 and 38% in 2018). In 2018, significantly fewer HIV-positive PWID were started on ART than in 2016 (19% vs. 48%; P = 0.01). Median times between enrolment on MMT and HIV testing (2 vs. 1 day) and between being diagnosed HIV-positive and started on ART (31 vs. 17 days) for 2016 and 2018 were not significantly different.

ART uptake decreased in 2018 compared with 2016, and ways to rectify this are urgently needed.