Lost to follow-up from anti-retroviral therapy and factors associated among HIV/AIDS patients at Dubti referral hospital, northeast Ethiopia

Background Sub-Saharan Africa contributed 76% of the total HIV-infected people, 76% of the total new HIV infections, and 75% of the total HIV/AIDS deaths in 2015. Loss to follow up from ART treatment is one of the reasons for ineffectiveness in developing countries. Objectives This study aimed to assess the incidence and determinant of loss to follow up among adult clients on ART at Dubti teaching and referral hospital. Methods Retrospective cohort study design was conducted among 390 adult people living with HIV/AIDS attending ART clinic between September 1, 2013 and September 1, 2018 at Dubti Hospital, Ethiopia. Patients were selected using systematic random sampling after considering all patients medical charts during the 2013 and 2018 to include in this study. Data were collected using medical document review from the baseline to follow-up treatments using structured checklist. Data were analyzed using STATA version 14. KaplanMeier curve was used to estimate the time to loss to follow up. Results Total person month contributed by the study participant was 8,589(715.5 person month). The incidence of loss to follow up was 9.7(95% CI 7.6, 12) per 100 person-years and median survival time was 10 months. Patients on a monthly based ART program were found more likely to lose from follow up than that of ART patients on spacing type program (AHR: 6.66, 95% CI, 3.32, 13.4).Patients with CD4 ≥ 400 were found more likely lost to follow up than those with CD4 between 50 and 200 (AHR: 1.3,95% CI, 0.35, 8.48). Conclusions The incidence of loss from follow up was high incomparable with the world health organization's strategic plan which called 90-90-90. It is also found that the median survival time of loss to follow up from the program was short.