Resum

BACKGROUND: Due to a huge crisis extensive to health services, until January 2019 approximately 8000 people living with HIV from Venezuela had migrated. As Peru was until November2019 one of the main destinations for such migrants, we describe the health status and epidemiological trends of PLHIV from Venezuela at the largest HIV program in Lima. METHODS: We collected and revised the baseline and follow-up routine data of all PLHIV from Venezuelan enrolled in the HIV program at the study center since January 2017, with end of follow-up by November 2019. RESULTS: The study center registers 375 Venezuelan PLWH; this represented 4.2% (2017), 20.1% (2018) and 16.1% (2019) of the HIV program's annual enrolments. The median age was 30 years (IQR 25;36), 90.7% were men, and 8 pregnancies out of 35 women. The proportion with diagnosis in Peru changed from 12% in 2017 to 58.7% in 2019; of those entering in AIDS stage from 9% to 29.9%. The median baseline CD4+ count was 398 (IQR 233;612); 24.1% were on viral suppression at enrollment. By November 2019, 239 (83.6%) were still in care, and 46 (12.3%) had not started ART. Out of 47 (16.4%) who were lost to follow-up, 13 (27.6%) had left Peru. Among 170 (57.4%) with a viral load measure between 3 to 9 months, 118 (69.4%) achieved viral suppression; 52(30.6%) were on virologic failure. HIV/TB coinfection lead the hospitalization diagnosis (7 out of 22 hospitalizations in 22 cases). Five deaths (1.3%) were reported due to different causes. CONCLUSIONS: The worsening clinical outcomes at arrival on the last year, increasing report of new HIV diagnosis and suboptimal rates of viral suppression for migrants from Venezuela in Peru call for actions oriented to early diagnosis and simplified access to health services, as well a better understanding of additional barriers for adherence in this population.