Evaluation of Antiretroviral Therapy Initiated Among Pregnant Women Under Option B+ by Viral Load and CD4 Count Outcomes in Selected Hospitals of West Shewa Zone, Oromia Region, Ethiopia

Background: Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is effective for the elimination of mother-to-child transmission (eMTCT) of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, reducing infant mortality and ensuring maternal virologic suppression, while pregnant women require test and treat under Option B+ programs. Therefore, the study aimed to assess the evaluation of antiretroviral therapy initiated among pregnant women under Option B+ by viral load and CD4 count outcomes in selected hospitals of West Shewa Zone, Oromia Region, Ethiopia. Methods: Hospital-based cross-sectional study design was employed to conduct the study at randomly selected hospitals providing Option B+ services with routine viral load assessment by Oromia Regional Laboratory (ORL) from January 2016 to January 2017. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine factors affecting the time to ART initiation following an HIV test and logistic regression was used to determine the correlation between time and treatment outcomes. Results: The viral load suppression (VL <1000 copies/mL) was achieved in 31% and 58.7% of patients who were on ART treatment for