Assessing health facility-related characteristics influencing the retention of HIV-exposed infants in the EID Care Clinic of Nebbi General Hospital. Descriptive cross-sectional study.

Background: If HIV-exposed infants (HEIs) are not retained, they risk delayed diagnosis of infection, missed initiation of antiretroviral therapy, increased infant morbidity and mortality, and missed opportunities for HIV-free survival. The study aims to assess health facility-related characteristics influencing the retention of HEIs in the EID Care Clinic at Nebbi General Hospital. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted among 44 caregivers of HEIs at Nebbi General Hospital using convenience sampling and a semi-structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed descriptively with frequencies, percentages, and charts in Microsoft Excel. Results: Nearly 17 (38.6%) of the respondents were aged 20–29 years, while at least 5 (11.3%) were aged 40 years and above. 21(47.7%) of the respondents said the clinic sometimes had HIV test kits and other EID materials, whereas the minority 5(11.4%) mentioned that they were always available. The majority of respondents, 30 (68.2%), reported that there were not enough health workers to attend to mothers and babies without long delays, while a few, 4 (9.1%), believed the staffing was adequate. Half of the mothers 22 (50%) reported waiting 1–2 hours before receiving services, while only 3 (6.8%) waited less than 30 minutes. Regarding how health workers treated mothers, the highest proportion, 18 (40.9%) of respondents described health workers as often harsh or judgmental, while the least, 9 (20.5%), felt health workers were very kind and supportive. Concerning distance to the EID clinic, most respondents, 30 (68.2%), lived 6–10 km away. Meanwhile, minority 6 (13.6%) lived less than 2 km from the clinic. Conclusion: Health facility challenges such as stock-outs of test kits, understaffing, long waiting times, harsh provider attitudes, and long distances further discouraged mothers from returning for scheduled visits. Recommendations Provide continuous health education to mothers on the importance of consistent infant HIV testing.