Determinants of primary healthcare providers' readiness for integration of ART services at departmental levels: A case study of Lira City and District, Uganda

Background Decreasing or flattening funding for vertical HIV services means that new and innovative ways of providing care are necessary. This study aimed to assess the determinants of readiness for integration of Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) services at the departmental level among primary health care providers (PHCP) at selected health facilities in Lira District. Methods A cross-sectional survey employing mixed methods approaches was conducted between January and February 2022 among 340 primary healthcare practitioners (PHCP) at selected health facilities in Lira district. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect quantitative data. Quantitative data was analyzed using Stata version 15. and presented as proportions, means, percentages, frequencies, and odds ratios. Logistic regression was used to determine associations of the factors with readiness for ART integration at a 95% level of significance. Thematic analysis was used to analyze qualitative data. Results The majority 75.2% (95% CI; 0.703-0.795) of the respondents reported being ready for the integration of ART services. PHCPs who were aware of the integration of services and those who had worked in the same facility for at least 6 years had higher odds of readiness for integration of ART, compared with their counterparts [aOR = 7.36; 95% CI = 3.857-14.028, p-value <0.001] for knowledge and duration at the current facility [aOR = 2.92; 95% CI = 1.293-6.599, p-value < 0.05] respectively. From the qualitative data, the dominant view was that integration is a good thing that should be implemented immediately. However, several challenges were noted, key among which include limited staffing and drug supplies at the facilities, coupled with limited space. Conclusions The study reveals a high level of readiness for the integration of ART services at departmental levels among Primary Healthcare Providers. Notably, PHCPs knowledgeable about integration and those who spent at least six years at the current health facility of work, were strong determinants for the integration of ART services in resource limited settings. In light of these findings, we recommend that policymakers prioritize the implementation of training programs aimed at upskilling healthcare workers. Furthermore, we advocate that a cluster randomized controlled trial be conducted, to evaluate the long-term effects of this integration on overall health outcomes.