EC Pharmacology and Toxicology

Research Article Volume 13 Issue 12 - 2025

Antiretroviral Treatment Failure and Associated Factors among Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Patients Who Attend Follow Up in Saint Peter Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 2017-2019

Tigist Hailu1, Walelegn Worku2, Molla Taye3*, Robel Gemechu Haile1 and Abel Worku Habtewold1

1St. Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

2Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, The University of Gondar, Central Gondar, Ethiopia

3School of Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, The University of Gondar, Central Gondar, Ethiopia

*Corresponding Author: Molla Taye, School of Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, The University of Gondar, Central Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.
Received: October 27, 2025; Published: December 31, 2025



Introduction: Inadequate viral suppression resulting from failure to adhere closely to HIV/AIDS treatment causes a worsening of the disease, developing drug resistant viral strains and leads to death.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the magnitude and associated factors of antiretroviral treatment failure among HIV/AIDS patients in Saint Peter specialized hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 810 participants who attended their antiretroviral therapy follow up in Saint Peter Specialized Hospital from 2017-2019. Data were collected on sociodemographic, antiretroviral treatment, and clinical characteristics by interviewing participants and reviewing their medical records. The data were entered into Epi-info 7 and exported to Statistical Package for the Social Science version 23. Bivariable and multivariable analysis were calculated to identify associated factors with antiretroviral treatment failure using Statistical Package for the Social Science version 23.

Results: The prevalence of antiretroviral treatment failure was 24.3%. The 1st two weeks of initiation after HIV diagnosis (AOR = 0.15, 95% CI: 0.04, 0.51), initiation after 6 months of HIV diagnosis (AOR = 0.23, 95% CI: 0.07, 0.71), WHO clinical stage 2 (AOR = 0.36, 95% CI: 0.17, 0.79), WHO clinical stage 3 (AOR = 0.51, 95% CI: 0.27, 0.96), WHO clinical stage 4 (AOR = 0.32, 95% CI: 0.12, 0.88), twice daily medication intake (AOR = 3.11, 95% CI: 1.57, 6.17), fair ART adherence (AOR = 10.97, 95% CI: 5.08, 23.69), poor antiretroviral treatment adherence (AOR = 58.54, 95% CI: 30.74, 111.47), regimen types; Nevirapine base (AOR = 0.48, 95% CI 0.24, 0.96), (AOR = 0.41, 95% CI: 0.18, 0.93) and clients on 2nd line regimen (AOR = 1.66, 95% CI: 0.29, 0.94) were significantly associated with treatment failure/non-viral suppression.

Conclusion: In the present study, initiation of antiretroviral treatment in the first two weeks of diagnosis, initiation of antiretroviral treatment after six month of diagnosis, WHO stages 2, 3, 4 and twice medication intake were factors associated with treatment failure/non-viral suppression. The viral non suppression was high to meet the 3rd 90 of UNAIDS strategy. ART adherence was the major factor significantly associated for viral non suppression followed by 2nd line regimen.

 Keywords: Antiretroviral; Treatment Failure; Viral Load; Non-Viral Suppression; HIV/AIDs; Associated Factors

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Molla Taye., et al. “Antiretroviral Treatment Failure and Associated Factors among Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Patients Who Attend Follow Up in Saint Peter Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 2017-2019”. EC Pharmacology and Toxicology  13.12 (2025): 01-13.

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