LAUSR

COVID-19 public health responses such as social distancing and shelter-in-place protocols are critical to preventing and containing the spread of coronavirus [1]. Yet these important measures may also prevent people living with HIV (PLWH) from accessing needed antiretroviral (ART) treatments and reduce their likelihood of treatment adherence [2–4]. PLWHs from sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) account for about 67.5% of the 37.9 million PLWHs globally [5]. As care providers and policymakers draw on resources and extant strategies to curb the COVID-19 pandemic, WHO and UNAIDS are calling on governments to develop and implement strategies that minimize disruptions in access and adherence to treatment regimens for PLWHs [6]. Although SSA remains the global region least affected by the COVID19 pandemic, we focus on this region due to its disproportionately large PLWH population and because prior HIV research suggests that the burden of pandemics tends to shift over time to poorer populations and countries due to their comparatively weak health care systems and other related issues [7]. We first outline four ways in which COVID-19 public health responses are stressful to PLWHs and disrupt their access and adherence to ART. Then, drawing on lessons from successful HIV treatment adherence interventions, we detail several ways to harmonize these seemingly dissonant health care efforts in SSA. Negative Impacts of COVID‐19 Measures on HIV Treatment and ART Adherence in SSA