TITLE:
Factors Influencing Antiretroviral Therapy Completion among HIV-Positive Mothers at Mbale Regional Referral Hospital, Uganda
AUTHORS:
David Damba, Lili Silumesii, Winnie Damba
KEYWORDS:
Antiretroviral Therapy Completion, HIV-Positive Mothers, ART Adherence, Mbale Regional Referral Hospital, Uganda
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Infectious Diseases,
Vol.15 No.4,
December
30,
2025
ABSTRACT: Introduction: Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is a lifelong treatment that transforms HIV and AIDS into manageable conditions, significantly improving the quality of life for people living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA). Objective: This study aimed to assess factors influencing ART completion among HIV-positive mothers at Mbale Regional Referral Hospital in Uganda. Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional design was used, involving 246 respondents selected through consecutive sampling. Data were analysed using SPSS. Results: Of 231 mothers, 223 (96.5%) completed ART uptake before birth, equating to 97% completion. Individual factors significantly influencing completion included age (χ2 = 15.732, p = 0.001), occupation (χ2 = 18.220, p = 0.001), marital status (χ2 = 13.003, p = 0.005), and income (χ2 = 12.322, p = 0.015). Institutional barriers were distance to health services (χ2 = 7.800 − 8.482, p ≤ 0.005) and perceived ARV side effects (χ2 = 4.109, p = 0.043). Conclusions: The results demonstrate a high ART completion rate among mothers attending Mbale Regional Referral Hospital, with 97% completing the uptake of ART services before birth. Key factors were socio-demographic (age, occupation, marital status and income) and structural (distance to healthcare and side effect concerns). Recommendations: The authors recommend implementing age-sensitive peer support groups and policies to mobilise HIV-positive mothers, improving socioeconomic conditions, reducing travel barriers through additional ART-equipped health facilities, and addressing institutional challenges by enhancing proximity to services and patient education on ARV side effects.