Zambia: An AI project has significantly increased the number of HIV patients in Sub-Saharan Africa on long-term treatment

Keeping the world's approximate 38 million HIV patients on long-term treatment is the most critical aspects of combating the global HIV. Vantage Health Technologies' collaboration with the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (http://IHVNigeria.org) has now resulted in a new discovery and renewed hope for patient preservation in the area.

Sub-Saharan Africa is estimated to have 25 million HIV patients, accounting for 67 percent of all HIV patients, with 8.1 million of them being virally unsuppressed. Using Vantage's artificial intelligence (Gave new Patient Retention Solution, which was funded by a fund from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States, the IHVN team was able to foresee and positively affect the conduct of high-risk HIV/AIDS patients.

The Patient Retention Solution was created by Vantage Health Technologies as part of the BroadReach Group (https://BroadReachCorporation.com), a social enterprise focused on health technology and innovation that empowers human behavior. The IHVN collaboration includes a three-site pilot implementation in which the implementing groups were able to keep 91 percent of the high-risk patients they worked with on HIV medicines.

Collaboration among health care partners, coupled with the use of cutting-edge AI technology, is going to prove to be highly effective for improving HIV/AIDS out-patient retention, according to Annika Lindorsson Krugel, Solutions Manager at Vantage Health Technologies. "Because of the high prevalence of disease and treatment challenges in Sub-Saharan Africa, using partnership and technology to improve the healthcare system is especially important."

Mercy Omozuafoh, IHVN's Programme Manager for Care and Support, and her team in Nigeria have used the Patient Retention Solution to prioritize existing interventions for high-risk HIV/AIDS patients. The predictive model was used at General Hospital Kudwa in Bwari, Federal Capital Territory, Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital in Lafia, Nasarawa State, and General Hospital Ahoada in Rivers State. "The project has shown the efficacy of proactive HIV patient tracking (PLHIV) and has made us realize the significance of the interventions we are implementing." "The project broadened our horizons, and we are now able to scale up the solution to include more facilities."" Omozuafoh expands.

The Patient Retention Solution algorithm was given training on 330 000 IHVN patients, and this pilot project included 5000 at-risk patients. During the intervention month, 91 percent of those on the forecast list who received an intervention (phone call, SMS, or home visit) were up to date, indicating that they were kept in care. In comparison, a control group that didn't receive the intervention had a retention rate of 55%.

The Patient Retention machine learning model was autonomously validated by the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice. The Dartmouth Institute examined 8 months of data from three Nigerian locations and discovered that side effects, stigma, logistical challenges, economic barriers, and forgetfulness were the most significant barriers to treatment adherence. According to the study, caregiver support, peer support, and understanding one's own situation all aided patients in overcoming these barriers. Cultural sensitivity, patient connections based on trusting relationships, and the facilitation of sizable improvement by local teams, according to the institute, all helped contribute to the program's success.

In Nigeria and South Africa, the Vantage Patient Retention Solution has been successfully implemented in HIV treatment and care programmes. Krugel describes the solution as "a creative example of what we can accomplish when AI truly powers human action."