Understanding the factors influencing linkage to HIV care after testing HIV positive in rural Mbeya, Tanzania

In Mbeya region of Tanzania, the rate of linkage into HIV care was estimated at 28% in 2014. This study explored the facilitators, barriers to linkage to HIV care at individual/patient, health care provider, health system, and contextual levels to inform the design of interventions to improve linkage to HIV care.

A descriptive qualitative study was conducted between August 2014 and July 2015, nested in a cohort study following 1,012 individuals newly diagnosed HIV positive for 6 months. We conducted 8 focus group discussions and 10 in-depth interviews with recently diagnosed HIV-positive individuals from the cohort, and 20 individual interviews with healthcare providers. Transcripts were transcribed verbatim in Swahili, translated into English and analyzed through thematic content analysis supported by Atlas.ti qualitative analysis software.