Effect of COVID-19 on older adults 50 years and above living with HIV in a less-developed country

In Uganda, as soon as the first case of COVID-19 was identified, strict lockdown measures were enforced, including a ban on all public and private transport, night curfew, closure of schools, and suspension of religious and social gatherings and closure of non-essential shops and markets. This qualitative study explored how COVID-19 affected the health and social life of older people living with HIV (PLHIV) through interviews in two hospitals. Overall, the findings indicated that the COVID-19 lockdown negatively affected the health and social well-being of older PLHIV. This calls for strategies to improve HIV care and treatment access during the lockdown to sustain the HIV program gains in this vulnerable population.