Bridging Gaps in HIV Care: Addressing Advanced Disease in Sub-Saharan Africa

Advanced HIV disease (AHD) in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) poses a significant public health challenge, increasing mortality rates even with access to antiretroviral therapy (ART). Late diagnosis and delayed ART initiation escalate viral loads and transmission risks, complicating the management of opportunistic infections and straining healthcare resources. Factors such as societal stigma, limited access to care, and systemic healthcare deficiencies create substantial barriers for timely diagnosis, linking patients to the care they need, and keeping them on the appropriate treatment. In the face of these obstacles, tackling the HIV epidemic requires a multifaceted approach: Enhancing healthcare infrastructure, addressing socioeconomic factors, and improving access to testing and care.

This Research Topic will evaluate advancements in the prompt initiation of ART and the implementation of the World Health Organization's comprehensive package of HIV interventions. This includes enhanced screening, treatment, and prophylactic measures for opportunistic infections, as well as adhering to support systems to ensure effective treatment and avert drug resistance. Additionally, exploring cutting-edge approaches to managing advanced HIV disease is vital to significantly reducing morbidity and mortality associated with HIV and identifying best practices for providing high-quality, accessible care in resource-limited environments.

Suitable themes for manuscripts include, but are not limited to:

1. Enhancing access to care through expanded testing services and the reduction of transportation, financial, cultural, and language barriers
2. Addressing challenges within the healthcare system related to human resources, infrastructure, funding, and the integration of HIV services into primary care, especially in rural areas
3. Reducing contributing factors including stigma and discrimination, poverty, lack of education, substance abuse, gender inequality, and domestic violence
4. Utilizing digital health tools to improve data management and service delivery
5. Strengthening community-based interventions and peer support
6. Focusing on AHD, early intervention, and specialized care, including treatment of opportunistic infections and other comorbidities, to reduce mortality

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Classification
• Clinical Trial
• Community Case Study
• Conceptual Analysis
• Curriculum, Instruction, and Pedagogy
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Classification
• Clinical Trial
• Community Case Study
• Conceptual Analysis
• Curriculum, Instruction, and Pedagogy
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Policy Brief
• Review
• Study Protocol
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Advanced HIV disease (AHD), Sub-Saharan Africa, Stigma and discrimination, Community-based interventions, Antiretroviral therapy (ART), Access to care, HIV monitoring, Opportunistic infections, Socioeconomic factors, Digital healthcare

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.