Survival on antiretroviral treatment among adult HIV-infected patients in Nepal: a retrospective cohort study in Far-western region, 2006-2011

Highly active antiretroviral therapy is necessary but not sufficient. A systematic review and meta-analysis of mortality incidence rates and predictors among HIV-infected adults receiving treatment in Ethiopia, a surrogate study for resource-poor settings

BACKGROUND

Owing to the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), the trajectory of mortality and morbidity associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection has significantly decreased in developed countries. However, this remains a formidable public health challenge for people living with HIV in resource-poor settings. This study was undertaken to determine the pooled person-time incidence rate of mortality, analyze the trend, and identify predictors of survival among HIV-infected adults receiving HAART.

METHODS

Quantitative studies were searched in PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Google Scholar, African Journals Online, and Web of Science. The Joana Briggs Institute critical appraisal tool was used to assess the quality of the included articles. The data were analyzed using the random-effects Dersimonian-Laird model.

RESULTS

Data abstracted from 35 articles involving 39,988 subjects were analyzed. The pooled person-time incidence rate of mortality (all-cause) was 4.25 ([95% uncertainty interval (UI), 3.65 to 4.85]) per 100 person-years of observations. Predictors of mortality were patients aged ≥ 45 years (hazard ratio (HR), 1.70 [95% UI,1.10 to 2.63]), being female (HR, 0.82 [95% UI, 0.70 to 0.96]), history of substance use (HR, 3.10 [95% UI, 1.31 to 7.32]), HIV positive status non disclosure (HR, 3.10 [95% UI,1.31 to 7.32]), cluster of differentiation 4 + T cell - count < 200 cells/mm3 (HR, 3.23 [95% UI, [2.29 to 4.75]), anemia (HR, 2.63 [95% UI, 1.32 to 5.22]), World Health Organisation classified HIV clinical stages III and IV (HR, 3.02 [95% UI, 2.29 to 3.99]), undernutrition (HR, 2.24 [95% UI, 1.61 to 3.12]), opportunistic infections (HR, 1.89 [95% UI, 1.23 to 2.91]), tuberculosis coinfection (HR, 3.34 [95% UI, 2.33 to 4.81]),bedridden or ambulatory (HR,3.30 [95% UI, 2.29 to 4.75]), poor treatment adherence (HR, 3.37 [95% UI,1.83 to 6.22]), and antiretroviral drug toxicity (HR, 2.60 [95% UI, 1.82 to 3.71]).

CONCLUSION

Despite the early introduction of HAART in Ethiopia, since 2003, the mortality rate has remained high. Therefore, guideline-directed intervention of identified risk factors should be in place to improve overall prognosis and increase quality-adjusted life years.

The spectrum of opportunistic infections and malignancies among women on antiretroviral therapy in Ethiopia

ABBREVIATIONS

AIDS: acquired immune deficiency syndrome; CI: confidence interval; EPHI: Ethiopian Public Health Institute; HAART: highly active antiretroviral therapy; HIV: human immunodeficiency virus; HR: hazard ratio; Mg/dl: milligram per deciliter; TB: tuberculosis; PCP: pneumocystis carinii pneumonia; ZJU: Zhejiang University.

HIV-1 Disease Progression and Drug Resistance Mutations among Children on First-Line Antiretroviral Therapy in Ethiopia

Background: High rates of disease progression and HIV drug resistance (HIVDR) among adults taking highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART) in Sub-Saharan Africa were previously documented. However, children were generally not considered despite their greater risk. Hence, this study was aimed to evaluate HIV-1 disease progression and drug resistance mutation among children on first-line antiretroviral therapy in Ethiopia. Method: A longitudinal study was conducted among 551 HIV-positive children (<15 years old) recruited between 2017 and 2019 at 40 antiretroviral treatment delivery sites in Ethiopia. Disease progression was retrospectively measured over a 12-year (2007-2019) follow-up as the progress towards immunosuppression. Two consecutive viral load (VL) tests were conducted in 6-month intervals to assess virologic failure (VF). For children with VF, HIV-1 genotyping and sequencing was performed for the pol gene region using in-house assay validated at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Stanford HIVDB v9.0 algorithm was used for identification of drug resistance mutations. The Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazards regression model were used to estimate the rate and predictors of disease progression, respectively. Results: The disease progression rate was 6.3 per 100 person-years-observation (95% CI = 4.21-8.53). Overall immunosuppression (CD4 count < 200 cells/mm3) during the 12-year follow-up was 11.3% (95% CI = 7.5-15.1). Immunosuppression was significantly increased as of the mean duration of 10.5 (95% CI = 10.1-10.8) years (38.2%) to 67.8% at 12 years (p < 0.001). Overall, 14.5% had resistance to at least one drug, and 6.2% had multi-drug resistance. A resistance of 67.8% was observed among children with VF. Resistance to non-nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTI) and nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTI) drugs were 11.4% and 10.1%, respectively. Mutations responsible for NRTI resistance were M184V (30.1%), K65R (12.1%), and D67N (5.6%). Moreover, NNRTI-associated mutations were K103N (14.8%), Y181C (11.8%), and G190A (7.7%). Children who had a history of opportunistic infection [AHR (95% CI) = 3.4 (1.8-6.2)], vitamin D < 20 ng/mL [AHR (95% CI) = 4.5 (2.1-9.9)], drug resistance [AHR (95% CI) = 2.2 (1.4-3.6)], and VF [AHR (95% CI) = 2.82 (1.21, 3.53)] had a higher hazard of disease progression; whereas, being orphan [AOR (95% CI) = 1.8 (1.2-3.1)], history of drug substitution [(AOR (95% CI) = 4.8 (2.1-6.5), hemoglobin < 12 mg/dL [AOR (95% CI) = 1.2 (1.1-2.1)] had higher odds of developing drug resistance. Conclusions: Immunosuppression was increasing over time and drug resistance was also substantially high. Enhancing routine monitoring of viral load and HIVDR and providing a vitamin-D supplement during clinical management could help improve the immunologic outcome. Limiting HAART substitution is also crucial for children taking HAART in Ethiopia.

Survival and Predictors of Mortality among Adults Initiating Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy in Ethiopia: A Retrospective Cohort Study (2007-2019)

Background

Studies have shown high early mortality after initiation of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). We examined change in three-year survival and predictors of mortality of patients initiating HAART in Ethiopia since 2007 to 2019.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was conducted in 47 health facilities (HFs) using records of 11,013 adult patients initiating HAART from 2007 to 2019. Study subjects were stratified as four different cohorts based on their calendar year of HAART initiation: 2007-2010, 2011-2013, 2014-2016, and 2017-2019. HFs were selected using probability proportional to size of patients. Survival rate and predictors of mortality were estimated by the calendar year using the Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazard, respectively. We generated a pooled estimate of survival rate and predicators of mortality.

Results

Data from 1881, 3868, 3004, and 2260 patients were retrieved from each of the cohorts. Overall mortality for all cohorts at all times was 10.3%. A gradual decline of mortality was observed in the first three years of follow-up since 2007-2016 which were 21.37%, 10.03%, and 4.34% among patients who initiated HAART in 2007, 2011, and 2014 respectively. A mortality jump of 9.25% was observed among patents initiating HAART in 2017, which coincided with political instability happened in the country. Of the 21,638 person-years of follow-up among 11,013 adults, mortality was 5.23/100 person-years, while disaggregated by the cohorts, it was 14.77, 5.06, 2.12, and 4.17 per 100 person-years, respectively. Among all the cohorts, patients with CD4 count of ≤200 cells/mm3, unsuppressed viral load, poor adherence, and drug resistance in all cohorts, respectively, have overall 2.0 (95%CI = 1.35 - 2.69), 4.66 (95%CI = 2.53 - 6.72), 6.78 (95%CI = 3.4 - 10.3), and 10.02 (95%CI = 6.91 - 13.82) times of mortality risk than those without. Patients with bedridden for cohort initiating HAART during 2007 and 2011 were 2.0 (95%CI = 1.35 - 2.69) times of mortality risk than those without.

Conclusion

Patients initiating HAART from 2007 to 2016 have continuously improved their survival during three-year cohort follow-up in Ethiopia. The significant decline of survival among those who initiate HAART as of 2017 calls for program intervention. Low CD4 counts, unsuppressed viral load, poor adherence, and drug resistance could be used as predictors for increased mortality to monitor the quality of HAART and improve clinical management of HIV/AIDS patients.

Loss to follow-up of patients in HIV care in Burundi: A retrospective cohort study

OBJECTIVE

The objective was to assess the loss to follow-up (LTFU) rates and associated factors amongst patients in HIV care in Burundi.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cohort study in HIV-positive patients aged ≥15 years who started antiretroviral therapy (ART) between January 2015 and July 2020, with 31 December 2020 as the end point. The outcome of LTFU was defined as failure of a patient to report for drug refill within 90 days from the last appointment. Study data were extracted from the national AIDS Info database. The LTFU proportion was determined using the Kaplan-Meier method with the log-rank test, whereas LTFU risk factors were explored using the Cox regression model.

RESULTS

A total of 29,829 patients on ART were included in the analysis. Cumulative incidence of LTFU was 2.3% at 12 months, 6.5% at 24 months, 12.7% at 36 months, 19.0% at 48 months, 24.1% at 60 months and 25.3% at 72 months. The overall LTFU incidence rate was 11.2 per 100 person-years of observation. The risk of LTFU was higher amongst patients who started ART after 2016 (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 1.75, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.65-1.85) or within 7 days after diagnosis (aHR 1.27, 95% CI 1.21-1.35).

CONCLUSION

Our findings demonstrate the relatively high incidence of LTFU in the Burundi HIV programme. Interventions targeting patients with risk factors for LTFU are particularly necessary.

Predictors of Mortality among Adult People Living with HIV and Its Implications for Appointment Spacing Model Approach Care

BACKGROUND

Ethiopia has been motivated to achieve a goal of "appointment spacing model approach care." However, little has been documented on the predictor of mortality and challenges of sustainable HIV care. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine predictors of mortality among adult people living with HIV/AIDS on antiretroviral therapy (ART).

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 676 adult people living with HIV who enrolled to ART clinic from September 01, 2012 - August 30, 2016. Multivariable Cox Regression analysis was done where adjusted hazard ratio (AHR)with corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) at P value ≤ 0.05 cut of point was used to identify predictors of mortality.

RESULTS

The total person-time contributed was 28,209 person-months with an overall mortality incidence rate of 11 per 1000 person-months observation. The cumulative mortality incidence among females over the study period was 16.8% (64/382). Severe undernourishment and moderate malnutrition at baseline, younger age, female sex, single, divorced, illiterate, lack of disclosure, advanced WHO clinical stage, seeking treatment outside catchment area, rural residence and immunological failure were found to be independent predictors of mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

Poor nutritional status at baseline, advanced stage of HIV disease, occurrence of treatment failure, female sex, substance abuse, lack of social support, immunological failure, clinical failure, and younger age, low level of education and poor physical access to healthcare facility were found to be important predictors of mortality. Intervening, those factors as routine and part of the appointment spacing model care can improve survival of PLWHA.

Survival Time and Associated Factors Among Adults Living with HIV After Initiation of HAART in South Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia: A Retrospective Cohort

Background

Antiretroviral therapy consistently improves the survival of people living with HIV and contributes to preventing the development of new infections. Studies of antiretroviral therapy programs in Africa have shown a high mortality rate during the first 6 months after initiation of HAART in rural health facilities. This study looks at survival time and associated factors among adults with HIV in south Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia.

Methods

A 5-year retrospective cohort study design was conducted using patient records among 746 adults living with HIV/AIDS. A systematic random sampling technique was used to select respondents after proportional allocation was made for all health facilities included in the study. Epi-info version 7 and STATA 12 were used for data entry and analysis, respectively. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis was used to estimate mean survival time and a life table was used to estimate survival probability after initiation of HAART.

Results

A total of 746 respondents were followed for a median of 60 months. There were 102 (13.67%) deaths yielding an overall mortality rate of 2.59/1,000-person year observation (95% CI=0.02136–0.031736). Age of respondents >43 years (AHR=2.790; 95% CI=1.495–5.206), bedridden (AHR=9.57; 95% CI=3.87–23.64), past TB treatment (AHR=0.86; 95% CI=0.46–0.609), baseline WHO stage IV (AHR=3.02; 95% CI=1.77–5.18), pneumonia after ART start (AHR=3.6; 95% CI=1.4–9.2), INH prophylaxis (AHR=2.58; 95% CI=1.232–5.188), ambulatory functional status (AHR=5.86; 95% CI=2.67–12.86), and disclosure status (AHR=0.423; 95% CI=0.261–0.685) were significant predictors for survival time after initiation of HAART among adults living with HIV.

Conclusion

The mortality rate was highly (13.67%) observed in the early phase of antiretroviral treatment. Being ambulatory and bedridden, age of respondents >43 years, past TB treatment, baseline WHO stage IV, pneumonia after HAART, INH prophylaxis, and disclosure status were independent predictors of mortality.

Survival and Predictors of Mortality Among HIV Positive Adult Patients on Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy in Public Hospitals of Kambata Tambaro Zone, Southern Ethiopia: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Background

Human Immune Deficiency Virus (HIV) infection remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality. In Ethiopia, despite test and treat all HIV positives are adopted, a significant number of people eligible for Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) show up with advanced disease and at lower CD4 count. There is currently paucity of studies conducted that investigate predictors of mortality among adults on ART in the study area.

Objective

To explore Survival and predictors of mortality among adult HIV-positive patients on ART in Kambata Tambaro Zone, Ethiopia, from August 2013 to February 2019.

Methods

A health facility-based retrospective cohort study was conducted among records of 467 adult HIV-positive patients on ART selected using simple random sampling. Data were collected using standardized abstraction tool. Kaplan–Meier, Log rank tests and Cox regression model was applied to estimate survival status and identify predictors of mortality, respectively.

Results

Of the total 467 study subjects, 59 (12.63%) of them died in the study period. The median follow-up time of the cohort was 40.1 (IQR=13.6–59.0) months. The mortality rate of the cohort was 4.1 per 100 PYO. The overall survival probability of the cohort was 84.38% (95 CI=80.08–87.82) at 66 months. Bedridden function AHR=3.0 (95% CI, 1.44–6.64), Fair-adherence AHR=3.3 (95% CI, 1.50–7.07), Poor-adherence AHR=3.8 (95% CI, 1.88–7.96), presence of OIs AHR=4.2 (95% CI, 1.98–8.50), Late diagnosis (CD4 count >/=350) AHR=3.0 (95% CI, 1.91–6.42) and Immunologic failure AHR=3.5 (95% CI, 1.41–6.29) were independent predictors of time to death in Cox-Regression.

Conclusion

Late Diagnosis, poor adherence, being bedridden, having OI and Immunologic failure were independently associated with time to death. Early diagnosis to start treatment and emphasizing on close follow-up care to improve treatment adherence should be given special emphasis.

Rate and Predictors of Mortality Among Adults on Antiretroviral Therapy at Debre Markos Referral Hospital, North West Ethiopia

Background

Human immunodeficiency virus/Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a chronic communicable disease with devastating global socio-economic, and political impacts commonly affecting the young and early adult populations. Ethiopia is doing well in controlling HIV/AIDS epidemic infection among African countries. This study set out to determine the mortality rate and its predictors among adults on antiretroviral therapy at Debre Markos Referral Hospital, northwest Ethiopia.

Methods

A hospital-based retrospective follow-up study was conducted from February to March 2018. A computer-generated simple random sample selected 480 cards of patients on antiretroviral therapy who were enrolled between February 2010 to January 2018. Epi-data Version 4.2 software was used for data entry and SPSS Version 25 for management and analysis. An adjusted hazard rate with a 95% confidence interval was used to identify significant predictors of mortality.

Results

The mortality rate was about 3.9 per 100 person-years. Cotrimoxazole prophylactic therapy (AHR: 2.99; 95% CI: 1.58, 5.70), being single (AHR: 2.37: 95% CI: 1.15, 4.87), non-disclosed status (AHR: 7.77; 95% CI: 3.76, 16.06), anemia (AHR: 2.16; 95% CI: 1.14, 4.09), bedridden (AHR: 6.11; 95% CI: 2.42, 15.41) or ambulatory (AHR: 2.16; 95%: 1.04, 4.51), presence of opportunistic infections (OIs) (AHR: 5.02; 95% CI: 1.70, 14.83) and tuberculosis (TB) co-infection (AHR: 5.57; 95% CI: 2.23, 13.88) were the significant predictors.

Conclusion and Recommendation

This study had a high mortality rate. Being single, bedridden, TB coinfection, anemia, and cotrimoxazole prophylaxis were the predictors of mortality. Therefore, psychological support and close follow-up for single, non-disclosed, non-adherent patients and early detection and treatment of anemia, tuberculosis, and OIs to reduce mortality is recommended.

Hematologic alterations and early mortality in a cohort of HIV positive African patients

Introduction

Infection with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is highly prevalent worldwide, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa, where anaemia is also widespread. HIV infection is known to be associated with anaemia and various other haematologic alterations, but little data on correlation with immunological and virologic conditions in treatment-naïve patients and impact on mortality are available. Our study aims to investigate hematologic features in HIV-infected individuals in Malawi and Mozambique and assesses possible correlations with early morality.

Material and methods

We conducted a retrospective analysis of baseline data (general details, nutritional status, full blood count and HIV infection progress data) and 12 months follow-up status for HIV+ adult patients in 22 health facilities in Malawi (11 sites) and Mozambique (11 sites) run by DREAM program. Anagraphic details, anthropometric characteristics, full blood count, CD4+ count and Viral Load data were collected from electronical medical records (EMR) for all the HIV-positive, treatment-naïve patients starting care in the sites in the period January 2007 –December 2016. Follow-up status after one year since enrolment in care was also considered. All the data extracted from the EMR were included in a dataset and then analysed. Univariate and multivariate analysis were conducted through logistical regression to investigate associations, and survival analysis analysed in a Cox regression model.

Results

On the whole, 22.657 patients were included; severe and moderate anaemia were observed in 1.174 (8,2%) and 4.703 (21,9%) patients respectively. Gender, nutritional status, CD4+ count, and viral load (VL) were associated with anaemia, leukopenia, and thrombocytopenia. Among 21.166 fully evaluable patients, 8.494 (40,1%) had at least one cytopenia. Any cytopenia was present in 1/3 of patients with normal nutritional status and less advanced HIV infection, and it wouldn’t be diagnosed in a basic HIV care setting. During the first year of treatment, 1.725 subjects (7,6% of the entire sample) died. Anaemia, lower Red blood cells and platelets counts correlated with mortality in the first year of care, independently by body mass index, haemoglobin, CD4+ count and VL.

Conclusions

Notwithstanding anaemia is known to be associated with HIV infection at diagnosis, full blood count is not routinely performed in many African countries. Our results emphasize that including the study of a broader set of parameters in the routine HIV care services in Sub-Saharan Africa would provide significant clinical information able to predict other alterations and poor outcomes.

Incidence of Loss to Follow-Up and Its Predictors Among Children with HIV on Antiretroviral Therapy at the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Referral Hospital: A Retrospective Data Analysis

Background

The magnitude of loss to follow-up is high and remains a major public health problem in developing countries. Therefore, the aim of this study determines the incidence rate and predictors of loss to follow-up among children with HIV on ART at the University of Gondar comprehensive specialized referral hospital.

Methods

An institution-based retrospective data analysis was conducted on 361 children with HIV. The simple random sampling technique was used, and data were entered into Epi-info version 7.1 and were exported to Stata version 14 for analysis. The proportional hazard assumption was checked, and Cox regression was fitted. Finally, an adjusted hazard ratio with a 95% CI was computed, and variables with P-value <0.05 in the multivariable analysis were taken as significant predictors of loss to follow-up.

Results

The overall incidence rate of lost to follow-up was 6.2 events per 100 child-years observations (95% CI: 4.9–7.7). Children who have got care from their biological parents (AHR 2.6, 95% CI: 1.2–5.5), WHO clinical stage III/IV (AHR 2.0, 95% CI: 1.1–3.8), history of regimen substitutions (AHR 1.7, 95% CI: 1.1–2.9), poor/fair medication adherence (AHR 2.5, 95% CI 1.4–4.2) and history of TB treatment (AHR 2.7, 95% CI: 1.6–4.4) were the significant predictors of lost to follow-up.

Conclusion

The incidence rate of loss to follow-up among children was found to be high. Children who have got care from their biological parent, WHO clinical stage III/IV, history of regimen substitution, poor/fair medication adherence, and history of TB treatment were the independent predictors of loss to follow-up. Therefore, strengthening HIV care intervention and addressing these significant predictors is highly recommended in the study setting.

Consequences of male partner engagement policies on HIV care-seeking in three African countries: Findings from the SHAPE UTT study

We explored how strategies to promote male partner engagement influenced HIV care-seeking among men and women living with HIV. In-depth interviews were conducted with 25 health workers, 66 female service users and 10 male partners in Ifakara (Tanzania), Karonga (Malawi) and uMkhanyakude (South Africa) to elicit experiences of offering, providing or receiving HIV care in the context of antenatal care. Data were coded inductively and analysed thematically. Participants reported benefits of couple testing during antenatal care, including facilitated HIV status disclosure and mutual support for HIV care-seeking. However, unintended consequences included women attending without partners, being refused or delayed access to antenatal services. Some women were required to obtain letters from village leaders to justify the absence of their partners, again to delaying or disrupting care-seeking. When partners attended antenatal care, consultations were reportedly more likely to focus on HIV testing, and less on antenatal or neonatal care. Strategies to increase men's attendance at HIV clinics with their partners can promote mutual support within couples for HIV care engagement, but may risk undermining engagement in pregnancy and HIV care for some women if over-stringently applied. Efforts are needed to address the underlying pervasive stigma associated with HIV care, both alone and as a couple.

Epidemiology of survival pattern and its predictors among HIV positive patients on highly active antiretroviral therapy in Southern Ethiopia public health facilities: a retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

In resource poor countries like Ethiopia, little is known about the survival of patients treated with antiretroviral therapy which depends on different factors. Evidence shows that mortality has been high particularly in the first 3 to 6 months of initiating antiretroviral therapy. Hence, the study aimed to assess the Epidemiology of survival pattern and its determinants among adult HIV positive patients on highly active antiretroviral therapy.

METHODS

Retrospective cohort study was employed among a total of 455 records of patients who were enrolled on antiretroviral therapy from September 2006 to August 2010. Socio-demographic, clinical, immunological, behavioral, and date of antiretroviral treatment initiation including date of follow up status were extracted. Significant predictor variables were identified by fitting Cox's proportional hazard model using a backward stepwise method and statistical significance variables were declared based on a p-value less than 0.05.

RESULTS

A total of 455 adult HIV/AIDS patients on ART contributed to 886.05-person-year of observation and 65.7% were alive and on treatment, 17.1% were lost to follow up and 7.5% died. The study showed that the estimated mortality was 4.4%, 5.3%, 6.1%, 7%, 7.5% and 7.5% at 6, 12, 24, 36, 48 and 60 months of follow up period, respectively. The overall incidence rate of mortality was 4.2 per 100 person-years of observation. In multivariate analysis age 45 and above (AHR: 3.72, 95% CI 1.21-11.4), bedridden functional status (AHR: 17.4, 95% CI 6.21-48.79), poor ART drug adherence (AHR: 4.52,95% CI 2.05-9.96), Tuberculosis co-infection (AHR: 4.1, 95% CI 1.84-9.13), non-disclosure (AHR: 4.9, 95% CI 1.82-12.89) and severe anemia (AHR: 5.1, 95% CI 1.81-14.21) were found predictors.

CONCLUSION

Patients with older age, tuberculosis infection, bedridden patients and severe anemia were predictors. Tracing poorly adhered patients and giving drug counseling as well as encouraging them for disclosure to their families is crucial to improve their survival.

How varying CD4 criteria for treatment initiation was associated with mortality of HIV-patients? A retrospective analysis of electronic health records from Andhra Pradesh, India

Background

HIV treatment and care services were scaled up in 2007 in India with objective to increase HIV-care coverage. CD4 count based criteria was mainly used for treatment initiation with increasing threshold in later years. Therefore, this paper aimed to evaluate the survival by varying CD4 criteria for antiretroviral treatment (ART) initiation among of HIV-positive patients, and independent factors associated with the mortality.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study included 127 949 HIV-positive patients aged ≥15 years, who initiated ART between 2007 and 2013 in Andhra Pradesh state, India. The patient’s demographic and clinical characteristics were extracted from the patient’s health records from electronic Computerized Management Information System Software (CMIS). Incidence of mortality/100 person-years was calculated for CD4 and treatment initiation categories. Kaplan-Meier and multivariable Cox-regression analyses were used to explore the association.

Results

Median CD4 count was 172 (inter-quartile range (IQR) = 102-240) at the time of treatment initiation, and 19.3% of them had ≤ 100 CD4 count. Incidence of mortality for the period 2007-08 (CD4 ≤ 200 cells/mm³) was 8.5/100 person-years compared to 6.4/100 person-years at risk for the period 2012 onwards (CD4 ≤ 350 cells/mm³). Earlier thresholds for treatment initiation showed higher risk of mortality (2007-08 (CD4 ≤ 200 cells/mm³), adjusted hazard ratio (HR): 1.86, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.68-2.07; 2009-11 (CD4 ≤ 250 cells/mm³), HR = 1.67, 95% CI = 1.51-1.85) compared to 2012 onwards (CD4 ≤ 350 cells/mm³) criteria for treatment initiation.

Conclusions

Increasing CD4 threshold for treatment initiation over time was independently associated with lower risk of mortality. More efforts are required to detect and treat early, monitoring of follow-ups, promote health education to improve ART adherence, and provide supportive environment that encourages HIV-infected patients to disclose their HIV status in confidence.

Effect of Macrolide Prophylactic Therapy on AIDS-Defining Conditions and HIV-Associated Mortality

BACKGROUND

Mycobacterium avium complex prophylaxis is recommended for patients with advanced HIV infection. With the decrease in incidence of disseminated Mycobacterium avium complex infection and the availability of antiretroviral therapy (ART), the benefits of macrolide prophylaxis were investigated. This study examined the impact of macrolide prophylaxis on AIDS-defining conditions and HIV-associated mortality in a cohort of HIV-infected patients on ART.

METHODS

Patients from TREAT Asia HIV Observational Database (September 2015 data transfer) aged 18 years and older with a CD4 count <50 cells/mm at ART initiation were included. The effect of macrolide prophylaxis on HIV-associated mortality or AIDS-defining conditions (as a combined outcome) and HIV-associated mortality alone were evaluated using competing risk regression. Sensitivity analysis was conducted in patients with a CD4 <100 cells/mm at ART initiation.

RESULTS

Of 1345 eligible patients, 10.6% received macrolide prophylaxis. The rate of the combined outcome was 7.35 [95% confidence interval (CI): 6.04 to 8.95] per 100 patient-years, whereas the rate of HIV-associated mortality was 3.14 (95% CI: 2.35 to 4.19) per 100 patient-years. Macrolide use was associated with a significantly decreased risk of HIV-associated mortality (hazard ratio 0.10, 95% CI: 0.01 to 0.80, P = 0.031) but not with the combined outcome (hazard ratio 0.86, 95% CI: 0.32 to 2.229, P = 0.764). Sensitivity analyses showed consistent results among patients with a CD4 <100 cells/mm at ART initiation.

CONCLUSIONS

Macrolide prophylaxis is associated with improved survival among Asian HIV-infected patients with low CD4 cell counts and on ART. This study suggests the increased usage and coverage of macrolide prophylaxis among people living with HIV in Asia.

Predictors of mortality among adult people living with HIV/AIDS on antiretroviral therapy at Suhul Hospital, Tigrai, Northern Ethiopia: a retrospective follow-up study

BACKGROUND

Ethiopia is striving to achieve a goal of "zero human immune deficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS)-related deaths." However, little has been documented on the factors that hamper the progress towards achieving this goal. Therefore, the ultimate aim of this study was to determine predictors of mortality among adult people living with HIV/AIDS on antiretroviral therapy (ART).

METHODS

A retrospective follow-up study was employed on all adult HIV/AIDS patients who started ART between January 1 and December 30, 2010, at Suhul Hospital, Tigrai Region, Northern Ethiopia. Data were collected by trained fourth-year Public Health students using a checklist. Finally, the collected data were entered into SPSS version 16. Then after, Kaplan-Meier curves were used to estimate survival probability, the log-rank test was used for comparing the survival status, and Cox proportional hazards model were applied to determine predictors of mortality.

RESULTS

The median follow-up period was 51 months (ranging between 1 and 60 months, inter-quartile range (IQR) = 14 months). At the end of follow-up, 37 (12.5%) patients were dead. The majority of these cumulative deaths, 19 (51.4%) and 29 (78.4%), occurred within 3 and 4 years of ART initiation respectively. Consuming alcohol (adjusted hazard ratio (AHR) = 2.23, 95% CI = 1.15, 4.32), low body weight (AHR = 2.38, 95% CI = 1.03, 5.54), presence of opportunistic infections (AHR = 2.18, 95% CI = 1.09, 4.37), advanced WHO clinical stage (AHR = 2.75, 95% CI = 1.36, 5.58), and not receiving isoniazid prophylactic therapy (AHR = 3.00, 95% CI = 1.33, 6.74) were found to be independent predictors of mortality.

CONCLUSION

The overall mortality was very high. Baseline alcohol consumption, low body weight, advanced WHO clinical stage, the presence of opportunistic infections, and not receiving isoniazid prophylactic therapy were predictors of mortality. Strengthening behavioral and nutritional counseling with close clinical follow-up shall be given much more emphasis in the ART care and support program.

Predictors of mortality in adult people living with HIV on antiretroviral therapy in Nepal: A retrospective cohort study, 2004-2013

Background

In Nepal, since 2004, 19,388 people living with HIV (PLHIV) have been enrolled on antiretroviral therapy (ART). The aim of this study was to measure mortality rate and to identify predictors of mortality in adult (≥15 years) PLHIV who initiated ART between 2004 and 2013 in five large ART centers of Nepal.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study of 3,799 (60.5% male) adult PLHIV uses secondary data collected from standard ART registers. Time from ART initiation (baseline) to death or censoring (loss to follow-up or December 31, 2013) was assessed. Mortality rates per 100 person-years were calculated. Kaplan-Meier models were used to estimate the probability of mortality over time. Predictors of mortality were determined using Cox-regression models.

Results

The overall mortality rate was 6.98 (95% CI: 6.46–7.54) per 100 person-years, 4.11 (95% CI: 3.53–4.79) in females and 9.14 (95% CI: 8.36–9.99) in males. Mortality rates were higher in early months after ART initiation, particularly in the first three months. Baseline predictors of mortality were ART center, male gender (adjusted HR = 2.08, 95% CI: 1.69–2.57), residence outside the ART district (AHR = 1.45, 95% CI:1.19–1.76), World Health Organization clinical stage III (AHR = 1.67, 95% CI: 1.13–2.46) and IV (AHR = 2.21, 95% CI: 1.45–3.36), bedridden <50% time in the last month (AHR = 1.92, 95% CI: 1.52–2.41), bedridden >50% time in the last month (AHR = 3.82, 95% CI: 2.95–4.94), lower bodyweight/kg (AHR = 1.04, 95% CI: 1.03–1.05), CD4 count <150 cell/mm³ (AHR = 2.14, 95% CI: 1.05–4.34) and treatment not switched to second-line regimen (AHR = 3.05, 95% CI: 1.35–6.90).

Conclusions

Mortality rates were higher soon after ART initiation, particularly in males and gradually decreased over time. Poor baseline clinical characteristics were significantly associated with higher mortality. Increased ART coverage with decentralization of sites to lower levels including community dispensing, differentiated and improved service delivery and initiation of ART at a less advanced disease stage may reduce early mortality.

Incidence and predictors of loss to follow up among HIV-infected adults at Pawi General Hospital, northwest Ethiopia: competing risk regression model

Objective

This study was aimed at assessing the incidence of lost-to-follow-up and its predictors among HIV-positive adults after initiation into antiretroviral therapy at Pawi General Hospital, northwest Ethiopia.

Results

The overall cumulative incidence of lost-to-follow-up after ART initiation was high, 11.6 (95% CI 9.8–13.7) per 100 adult-years follow-up time. Independent significant predictors of lost to follow up were being aged 15–28 years (aSHR = 0.44; 95% CI 0.24–0.83), being on WHO clinical stage IV (aSHR = 2.09; 95% CI 1.02–3.13); and receiving isoniazid preventive therapy (aSHR = 0.11; 95% CI 0.06–0.18).

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s13104-018-3407-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Mortality and Its Predictors among HIV Infected Patients Taking Antiretroviral Treatment in Ethiopia: A Systematic Review

Background

Even though the benefit of antiretroviral therapy (ART) is well established, there is a regional variation in the extent of its benefit. The aim of this review is to highlight mortality and its predictors in Ethiopian adult HIV patients who were on ART.

Methods

Relevant articles were searched on PubMed and Google Scholar databases. The search terms used in different combinations were predictor/determinant/factors, mortality/death/survival, HIV, ART/HAART, and Ethiopia.

Result

5-40.8% of the patients died during the follow-up period. More than half (50-68.8%) of the deaths occurred within 6 months of initiating ART. Advanced stage disease (stage III and stage IV), nonworking functional status (bedridden and ambulatory), low baseline CD4 count, low baseline hemoglobin level, TB coinfection, lower baseline weight, and poor treatment adherence were commonly identified as predictors of death in HIV patients.

Conclusion

5-40.8% of HIV patients in Ethiopia die in 2-5 years of initiating antiretroviral treatment. Most of the deaths in HIV patients occur early in the course of treatment. Special emphasis should be given for patients with advanced stage disease, nonworking functional status, low baseline CD4 count, low baseline hemoglobin level, TB coinfection, lower baseline weight, and poor treatment adherence.

Mortality in the First 3 Months on Antiretroviral Therapy Among HIV-Positive Adults in Low- and Middle-income Countries: A Meta-analysis

Previous meta-analyses reported mortality estimates of 12-month post-antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation; however, 40%-60% of deaths occur in the first 3 months on ART, a more sensitive measure of averted deaths through early ART initiation. To determine whether early mortality is dropping as treatment thresholds have increased, we reviewed studies of 3 months on ART initiation in low- to middle-income countries. Studies of 3-month mortality from January 2003 to April 2016 were searched in 5 databases. Articles were included that reported 3-month mortality from a low- to middle-income country; nontrial setting and participants were ≥15. We assessed overall mortality and stratified by year using random effects models. Among 58 included studies, although not significant, pooled estimates show a decline in mortality when comparing studies whose enrollment of patients ended before 2010 (7.0%; 95% CI: 6.0 to 8.0) with the studies during or after 2010 (4.0%; 95% CI: 3.0 to 5.0). To continue to reduce early HIV-related mortality at the population level, intensified efforts to increase demand for ART through active testing and facilitated referral should be a priority. Continued financial investments by multinational partners and the implementation of creative interventions to mitigate multidimensional complex barriers of accessing care and treatment for HIV are needed.

Landmark estimation of survival and treatment effects in observational studies

Clinical studies aimed at identifying effective treatments to reduce the risk of disease or death often require long term follow-up of participants in order to observe a sufficient number of events to precisely estimate the treatment effect. In such studies, observing the outcome of interest during follow-up may be difficult and high rates of censoring may be observed which often leads to reduced power when applying straightforward statistical methods developed for time-to-event data. Alternative methods have been proposed to take advantage of auxiliary information that may potentially improve efficiency when estimating marginal survival and improve power when testing for a treatment effect. Recently, Parast et al. (J Am Stat Assoc 109(505):384-394, 2014) proposed a landmark estimation procedure for the estimation of survival and treatment effects in a randomized clinical trial setting and demonstrated that significant gains in efficiency and power could be obtained by incorporating intermediate event information as well as baseline covariates. However, the procedure requires the assumption that the potential outcomes for each individual under treatment and control are independent of treatment group assignment which is unlikely to hold in an observational study setting. In this paper we develop the landmark estimation procedure for use in an observational setting. In particular, we incorporate inverse probability of treatment weights (IPTW) in the landmark estimation procedure to account for selection bias on observed baseline (pretreatment) covariates. We demonstrate that consistent estimates of survival and treatment effects can be obtained by using IPTW and that there is improved efficiency by using auxiliary intermediate event and baseline information. We compare our proposed estimates to those obtained using the Kaplan-Meier estimator, the original landmark estimation procedure, and the IPTW Kaplan-Meier estimator. We illustrate our resulting reduction in bias and gains in efficiency through a simulation study and apply our procedure to an AIDS dataset to examine the effect of previous antiretroviral therapy on survival.

Pre-ART nutritional status and its association with mortality in adult patients enrolled on ART at Fiche Hospital in North Shoa, Oromia region, Ethiopia: a retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) compromises the nutritional status of infected individuals and in turn, malnutrition worsens the effects of the infection itself by weakening the immune system consequently accelerating disease progression and death. However, few studies have examined the association between nutritional status at antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation and early mortality. Therefore, this study assesses pre-ART nutritional status and other baseline characteristics and mortality among adult patients on ART at Fiche Hospital, Ethiopia.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study was conducted among 489 ART enrolled adult patients between August 01, 2006 and September 30, 2013 in Fiche Hospital. Study participants were selected by using systematic random sampling method. Actuarial table was used to estimate survival of patients after ART initiation and log rank test was used to compare the survival curves. Cox proportional-hazard regression was used to determine independent predictors of time to death.

RESULTS

Most of the study subjects were females 254 (51.9%). A total of 489 patients were included in the analysis, of whom 87 died during a median study follow-up of 22 months. The estimated mortality among malnourished was 21, 28, 33, and 38% at 5, 10, 15, and 25 months respectively with mortality incidence density of 5.63 deaths per 100 person years. The independent predictors of mortality were: BMI <18.5 kg/m² (AHR = 5.4 95% CI 3.03-9.58), baseline ambulatory functional status (AHR = 3.84; 95% CI 2.19-6.74), bedridden functional status (AHR = 4.78; 95% CI 2.14-10.65), WHO clinical stage III (AHR 2.21; 95% CI 1.16-4.21), WHO clinical stage IV (AHR 4.05; 95% CI 1.50-10.97) and CD4 count less than 200 cells/μl (AHR = 2.95; 95% CI 1.48-5.88), two and more opportunistic infections (AHR 2.30; 95% CI 1.11-4.75).

CONCLUSIONS

Undernutrition at the time of ART initiation was associated with increased risk of death, particularly during the first 3 months after ART initiation. Interventions to promote earlier HIV diagnosis and treatment and integrating nutrition counseling at all stages of ART implementation may improve ART outcomes in this vulnerable population.

Effects of Antiretroviral Therapy on the Survival of Human Immunodeficiency Virus-positive Adult Patients in Andhra Pradesh, India: A Retrospective Cohort Study, 2007-2013

OBJECTIVES

The survival outcomes of antiretroviral treatment (ART) programs have not been systematically evaluated at the state level in India. This retrospective study assessed the survival rates and factors associated with survival among adult human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients in Andhra Pradesh, India.

METHODS

The present study used data from 139 679 HIV patients aged ≥15 years on ART who were registered from 2007 to 2011 and were followed up through December 2013. The primary end point was death of the patient. Mortality densities (per 1000 person-years) were calculated. Kaplan-Meier and Cox-regression models were used to estimate survival and explore the factors associated with survival.

RESULTS

The overall median follow-up time was 16.0 months (2.0 months for the deceased and 14.0 months for those lost to follow-up). Approximately 13.2% of those newly initiated on ART died during follow-up. Of those deaths, 56% occurred in the first three months. The crude mortality rate was 80.9 per 1000 person-years at risk. The CD4 count (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR],4.88; 95% confidence interval [CI], 4.36 to 5.46 for <100 cells/mm3 vs. >350 cells/mm3), functional status (aHR, 3.05; 95% CI, 2.82 to 3.30 for bedridden vs. normal), and body weight (aHR, 3.69; 95% CI, 3.42 to 3.97 for <45 kg vs. >60 kg) were strongly associated with the survival of HIV patients.

CONCLUSIONS

The study findings revealed that high mortality was observed within the first three months of ART initiation. Patients with poor baseline clinical characteristics had a higher risk of mortality. Expanded testing and counseling should be encouraged, with the goal of ensuring early enrollment into the program followed by the initiation of ART in HIV-infected patients.

HIV decline associated with changes in risk behaviours among young key populations in Nepal: analysis of population-based HIV prevalence surveys between 2001 and 2012

We assessed changes in HIV prevalence and risk behaviours among young key populations in Nepal. A total of 7505 participants (aged 16-24 years) from key populations who were at increased risk of HIV infection (2767 people who inject drugs (PWID); 852 men who have sex with men/transgender (MSM/TG); 2851 female sex workers (FSW) and 1035 male labour migrants) were recruited randomly over a 12-year period, 2001-2012. Local epidemic zones of Nepal (Kathmandu valley, Pokhara valley, Terai Highway and West to Far West hills) were analysed separately. We found a very strong and consistent decline in HIV prevalence over the past decade in different epidemic zones among PWID and MSM/TG in Kathmandu, the capital city, most likely due to a parallel increase in safe needle and syringe use and increased condom use. A decrease in HIV prevalence in 22 Terai highway districts, sharing an open border with India, was also consistent with increased condom use among FSW. Among male labour migrants, HIV prevalence was low throughout the period in the West to Far West hilly regions. Condom use by migrant workers involved with FSW abroad increased while their condom use with Nepalese FSW declined. Other risk determinants such as mean age at starting first injection, injection frequency, place of commercial sex solicitation, their mean age when leaving to work abroad did not change consistently across epidemic zones among the young key populations under study. In Nepal, the decline in HIV prevalence over the past decade was remarkably significant and consistent with an increase in condom use and safer use of clean needles and syringes. However, diverging trends in risk behaviours across local epidemic zones of Nepal suggest a varying degree of implementation of national HIV prevention policies. This calls for continued preventive efforts as well as surveillance to sustain the observed downward trend.

Comparison of survival in adult antiretroviral treatment naïve patients treated in primary health care centers versus those treated in hospitals: retrospective cohort study; Oromia region, Ethiopia

BACKGROUND

Antiretroviral treatment (ART) service scaling up has been practiced in the Ethiopia since 2006. Regardless of increasing number of primary health care centers providing the service, the existing hospitals are still overcrowded with ART service seeking patients may be because of the common belief that treatment outcome is better for hospital patients than those treated at the primary health centers. However, documented evidence comparing the treatment outcome for the two categories of health facilities is scarce in the study setting. The purpose of the current study was to compare major treatment outcomes among new patients treated at the two health facility categories.

METHOD

Retrospective cohort study was implemented using secondary data from medical records collected between October 2010 and January 2014 in the selected health facilities. All patients (1895) who started the treatment in the facilities during the period were included in the study. Univariate analyses were made using descriptive methods such as frequency distributions and measures of central tendency. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were made using Kaplan Meier and Cox regression models respectively to compare the mean survival time between the two facility categories. P-value less than 0.05 was considered as statistically significant.

RESULTS

A total of 1895 patient records were followed for 27,990 person-months. Risks of unwanted treatment outcomes (death and lose-to-follow-up) were the same for both categories of patients. The median survival probability was similar to the facility categories (P-value = 0.11). Baseline performance scale III/IV (AHR, 2.4; 95 % CI: 2.0, 3.0), baseline WHO clinical stages III/IV (AHR, 2.8; 95 % CI: 2.3, 3.4), and low adherence (<95 %) to ART drugs (AHR, 3.4; 95 % CI: 2.8, 5.2) were the independent predictors of the unwanted treatment outcomes.

CONCLUSION

Antiretroviral treatment service delivery at primary health care facilities did not compromise the treatment outcomes among adult ART naïve patients. This implies that, ART services decentralization can result in acceptable treatment outcome in less developed settings. Therefore, treatment requiring patients should be encouraged to start the treatment in either of the health facilities as early as possible.

Predictors of Treatment Failure among Adult Antiretroviral Treatment (ART) Clients in Bale Zone Hospitals, South Eastern Ethiopia

Background

Treatment failure defined as progression of disease after initiation of ART or when the anti-HIV medications can’t control the infection. One of the major concerns over the rapid scaling up of ART is the emergence and transmission of HIV drug resistant strains at the population level due to treatment failure. This could lead to the failure of basic ART programs. Thus this study aimed to investigate the predictors of treatment failure among adult ART clients in Bale Zone Hospitals, South east Ethiopia.

Methods

Retrospective cohort study was employed in four hospitals of Bale zone named Goba, Robe, Ginir and Delomena. A total of 4,809 adult ART clients were included in the analysis from these four hospitals. Adherence was measured by pill count method. The Kaplan Meier (KM) curve was used to describe the survival time of ART patients without treatment failure. Bivariate and multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models were used for identifying associated factors of treatment failure.

Result

The incidence rate of treatment failure was found 9.38 (95% CI 7.79–11.30) per 1000 person years. Male ART clients were more likely to experience treatment failure as compared to females [AHR = 4.49; 95% CI: (2.61–7.73)].Similarly, lower CD4 count (<100 m³/dl) at initiation of ART was found significantly associated with higher odds of treatment failure [AHR = 3.79; 95% CI: (2.46–5.84).Bedridden [AHR = 5.02; 95% CI: (1.98–12.73)] and ambulatory [AHR = 2.12; 95% CI: (1.08–4.07)] patients were more likely to experience treatment failure as compared to patients with working functional status. TB co-infected clients had also higher odds to experience treatment failure [AHR = 3.06; 95% CI: (1.72–5.44)]. Those patients who had developed TB after ART initiation had higher odds to experience treatment failure as compared to their counter parts [AHR = 4.35; 95% CI: (1.99–9.54]. Having other opportunistic infection during ART initiation was also associated with higher odds of experiencing treatment failure [AHR = 7.0, 95% CI: (3.19–15.37)]. Similarly having fair [AHR = 4.99 95% CI: (1.90–13.13)] and poor drug adherence [AHR = 2.56; 95% CI: (1.12–5.86)]were significantly associated with higher odds of treatment failure as compared to clients with good adherence.

Conclusion

The rate of treatment failure in Bale zone hospitals needs attention. Prevention and control of TB and other opportunistic infections, promotion of ART initiation at higher CD4 level, and better functional status, improving drug adherence are important interventions to reduce treatment failure among ART clients in Southeastern Ethiopia.

Clinic Attendance for Antiretroviral Pills Pick-Up among HIV-Positive People in Nepal: Roles of Perceived Family Support and Associated Factors

INTRODUCTION

HIV-positive people's clinic attendance for medication pick-up is critical for successful HIV treatment. However, limited evidence exists on it especially in low-income settings such as Nepal. Moreover, the role of family support in clinic attendance remains under-explored. Therefore, this study was conducted to examine the association between perceived family support and regular clinic attendance and to assess factors associated with regular clinic attendance for antiretroviral pills pick-up among HIV-positive individuals in Nepal.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 423 HIV-positive people in three districts of Nepal. Clinic attendance was assessed retrospectively for the period of 12 months. To assess the factors associated, an interview survey was conducted using a semi-structured questionnaire from July to August, 2015. Multiple logistic regression models were used to assess the factors associated with regular clinic attendance.

RESULTS

Of 423 HIV-positive people, only 32.6% attended the clinics regularly. They were more likely to attend them regularly when they received high family support (AOR = 3.98, 95% CI = 2.29, 6.92), participated in support programs (AOR = 1.68, 95% CI = 1.00, 2.82), and had knowledge on the benefits of antiretroviral therapy (AOR = 2.62, 95% CI = 1.15, 5.99). In contrast, they were less likely to attend them regularly when they commuted more than 60 minutes to the clinics (AOR = 0.53, 95% CI = 0.30, 0.93), when they self-rated their health status as being very good (AOR = 0.13, 95% CI = 0.04, 0.44), good (AOR = 0.14, 95% CI = 0.04, 0.46), and fair (AOR = 0.21, 95% CI = 0.06, 0.70).

CONCLUSION

HIV-positive individuals are more likely to attend the clinics regularly when they receive high family support, know the benefits of antiretroviral therapy, and participate in support programs. To improve clinic attendance, family support should be incorporated with HIV care programs in resource limited settings. Service providers should also consider educating them about the benefits of antiretroviral therapy.

Retention in Care among HIV-Infected Adults in Ethiopia, 2005- 2011: A Mixed-Methods Study

Background

Poor retention in HIV care challenges the success of antiretroviral therapy (ART). This study assessed how well patients stay in care and explored factors associated with retention in the context of an initial ART rollout in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Methods

We conducted a mixed-methods study at a teaching hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A cohort of 385 patients was followed for a median of 4.6 years from ART initiation to lost-to-follow-up (LTFU—missing appointments for more than three months after last scheduled visit or administrative censoring). We used Kaplan-Meier plots to describe LTFU over time and Cox-regression models to identify factors associated with being LTFU. We held six focus group discussions, each with 6–11 patients enrolled in care; we analyzed data inductively informed by grounded theory.

Results

Patients in the cohort were predominantly female (64%) and the median age was 34 years. Thirty percent were LTFU by study’s end; the median time to LTFU was 1,675 days. Higher risk of LTFU was associated with baseline CD4 counts <100 and >200 cells/μL (HR = 1.62; 95% CI:1.03–2.55; and HR = 2.06; 95% CI:1.15–3.70, respectively), compared with patients with baseline CD4 counts of 100–200 cells/μL. Bedridden participants at ART initiation (HR = 2.05; 95% CIs [1.11–3.80]) and those with no or only primary education (HR = 1.50; 95% CIs [1.00–2.24]) were more likely to be LTFU. Our qualitative data revealed that fear of stigma, care dissatisfaction, use of holy water, and economic constraints discouraged retention in care. Social support and restored health and functional ability motivated retention.

Conclusion

Complex socio-cultural, economic, and health-system factors inhibit optimum patient retention. Better tracking, enhanced social support, and regular adherence counseling addressing stigma and alternative healing options are needed. Intervention strategies aimed at changing clinic routines and improving patient–provider communication could address many of the identified barriers.

Predictors of loss to follow-up in antiretroviral treatment for adult patients in the Oromia region, Ethiopia

Purpose

It is known that antiretroviral treatment (ART) reduces mortality from acquired immunodeficiency syndrome related causes. Patient’s lost to follow-up (LTFU) in this treatment poses a paramount problem to the public and health care services. Information on predictors of loss to follow-up is scarce in this study area and similar settings. Therefore, this study aimed at identifying correlates of loss to follow-up in ART among adult patients in the Oromia region of Ethiopia.

Methods

A case–control study was conducted between February 2015 and April 2015 using medical records. The stratified sampling technique was used to select health facilities. The number of patient records to be included in the study was proportionally allocated to each stratum based on their patient proportion in the regional data. Specific health facilities from which to include the records were randomly selected from a list of the health facilities per stratum. All adult patient records registered as LTFU (416) in the selected health facilities during the 12-month period prior to the data collection date, and 832 patients with good adherence to ART were included. Data were double-entered into Epi Info 7 and analyzed using SPSS 20. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression were used to report the results. Qualitative data were thematically analyzed using open code computer software.

Results

Age 15–24 years (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 19.82 95% CI: 6.80, 57.73); day laborers (AOR, 5.36; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.23, 8.89), rural residents (AOR, 2.35; 95% CI: 1.45, 3.89), World Health Organization clinical stage IV (AOR, 2.29; 95% CI: 1.45, 3.62), baseline CD4 <350 cells/mL (AOR, 2.06; 95% CI: 1.36, 3.13), suboptimal adherence to ART (AOR, 7.42; 95% CI: 1.87, 29.41), were factors which increased the risk of loss to follow-up in ART.

Conclusion

Multiple risk factors, both socioeconomic and clinical, were associated with loss to follow-up. Attention is required to address these factors during patient preparation for the treatment and follow-up counseling by practitioners. We recommend that other studies identify what happened to the patients registered as LTFU as the current study could not address this issue.

The role of social determinants on tuberculosis/HIV co-infection mortality in southwest Ethiopia: a retrospective cohort study

Background

The role played by social determinants of health including social, economic, environmental and cultural factors in influencing health outcomes for many health conditions has been widely described. However, the potential impact of these factors on morbidity and mortality of infectious diseases particularly tuberculosis (Tb)/HIV co-infection mortality is scantly addressed. We assessed the role that social determinants play in Tb/HIV co-infection mortality in southwest Ethiopia.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study collated Tb and HIV data from Jimma University Teaching Hospital, Southwest Ethiopia for the period of September 2010 and August 2012. Data analysis was conducted using STATA version 14 for mackintosh. Both descriptive and inferential statistics analyses were performed. Logistic regression was applied to identify factors associated with Tb/HIV co-infection mortality at P value of ≤0.05 in the final model.

Results

Fifty-five (20.2 %) patients died during the study period. Compared to their counterparts, more Tb/HIV co-infection death was observed in young age groups between 25 and 34 years (47.3 %), females (58.2 %), daily labors (40 %) and Muslim followers (54.5 %). 43.6 and 41.8 % of study participants respectively had single and double bedrooms, and 25.5 and 23.6 % of deceased study participants did not have water and electricity in the household respectively. Logistic regression analyses demonstrated the following factors significantly associated with Tb/HIV co-infection mortality: being a commercial sex worker (AOR, 5.6; 95 % CI, 1.2–25.8), being of bed ridden functional status (AOR, 3.9; 95 % CI, 1.5–10.3) and being a rural resident (AOR, 3.4; 95 % CI, 1.4–8.4).

Conclusions

One-fifth of Tb/HIV co-infected patients died due to the co-infection. Social determinants including type of occupation, severity of disease and residing in rural areas seemed to have a significant association with the poor disease outcome. Findings of this study inform the role that social determinants play in influencing mortality due to Tb/HIV co-infection. Consistent with principles of primary health care as stated by Alma Ata declaration, and in order to achieve better disease outcomes, intervention frameworks that address Tb/HIV mortality should not only focus on the medical interventions of diseases, but should also integrate and improve social determinants of affected populations.

Early Versus Delayed Mortality among HIV Infected Patients Initiating Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy in Tanzania

Development of HAART in the mid-1990's and its continued scale up has revolutionized the treatment of HIV-infected patients and led to remarkable reductions in HIV associated morbidity and mortality. However, recent studies have suggested a higher risk for early mortality in adults receiving ART in low-income countries as compared to those in high-income countries. There is dearth of data from developing countries where the burden of disease is high. The objective is to describe the burden and correlation between early vs. delayed mortality associated with HIV/AIDS in resource poor settings using data from Tanzania in East Africa. We performed a cross-sectional evaluation of routinely collected program data for 991 HIV-positive deceased adult patients who were placed on ART treatment, and died between January 1, 2007 and December 31, 2012. Data used were abstracted from records of patients who were treated at six health facilities in the Lake-zone Region of Tanzania in the timeframe. Bivariate and multivariate regression models were used to identify independent predictors of mortality and to calculate odds ratios. From the population, early deaths (within 3 months of ART initiation) occurred in 359 of the 991 cases, which represented 36.2%; while delayed deaths (after 3 months of ART initiation) occurred in 632 of 991 (63.8%). The average time to death for those who died within 3 months was 1 month compared to 22 months among those who died at > 3 months since initiation of ARV. In multivariate analysis, patients who were on WHO stage IV, had fever and cough symptoms at 6 months prior to death and patients with 0-1, 2-3, and 4-6 clinic visits had a higher risk of death in the first 3 months. Mortality among patients started on ART seems to be high. Where possible, healthcare providers should do more to vigorously monitor patients before starting them on ART for better outcomes. Additionally, public health efforts to encourage early testing and entry into treatment must be scaled up in resource poor countries to gain some lead-time and to keep the virus under control, sustain immune function, and delay the onset of opportunistic infections.

Retention of Adult Patients on Antiretroviral Therapy in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis 2008-2013

BACKGROUND

We previously published systematic reviews of retention in care after antiretroviral therapy initiation among general adult populations in sub-Saharan Africa. We estimated 36-month retention at 73% for publications from 2007 to 2010. This report extends the review to cover 2008-2013 and expands it to all low- and middle-income countries.

METHODS

We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Register, and ISI Web of Science from January 1, 2008, to December 31, 2013, and abstracts from AIDS and IAS from 2008-2013. We estimated retention across cohorts using simple averages and interpolated missing times through the last time reported. We estimated all-cause attrition (death, loss to follow-up) for patients receiving first-line antiretroviral therapy in routine settings in low- and middle-income countries.

RESULTS

We found 123 articles and abstracts reporting retention for 154 patient cohorts and 1,554,773 patients in 42 countries. Overall, 43% of all patients not retained were known to have died. Unweighted averages of reported retention were 78%, 71%, and 69% at 12, 24, and 36 months, after treatment initiation, respectively. We estimated 36-month retention at 65% in Africa, 80% in Asia, and 64% in Latin America and the Caribbean. From lifetable analysis, we estimated retention at 12, 24, 36, 48, and 60 months at 83%, 74%, 68%, 64%, and 60%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Retention at 36 months on treatment averages 65%-70%. There are several important gaps in the evidence base, which could be filled by further research, especially in terms of geographic coverage and duration of follow-up.

Predictors of Mortality among Adult Antiretroviral Therapy Users in Southeastern Ethiopia: Retrospective Cohort Study

Background. Although efforts have been made to reduce AIDS-related mortality by providing antiretroviral therapy (ART) services, still people are dying while they are on treatment due to several factors. This study aimed to investigate the predictors of mortality among adult antiretroviral therapy (ART) users in Goba Hospital, Southeast Ethiopia. Methods. The medical records of 2036 ART users who enrolled at Goba Hospital between 2007 and 2012 were reviewed and sociodemographic, clinical, and ART-related data were collected. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to measure risk of death and identify the independent predictors of mortality. Results. The overall mortality incidence rate was 20.3 deaths per 1000 person-years. Male, bedridden, overweight/obese, and HIV clients infected with TB and other infectious diseases had higher odds of death compared with their respective counterparts. On the other hand, ART clients with primary and secondary educational level and early and less advanced WHO clinical stage had lower odds of death compared to their counterparts. Conclusion. The overall mortality incidence rate was high and majority of the death had occurred in the first year of ART initiation. Intensifying and strengthening early ART initiation, improving nutritional status, prevention and control of TB, and other opportunistic infections are recommended interventions.

Survival of AIDS patients treated with traditional chinese medicine in rural central china: a retrospective cohort study, 2004-2012

This study aimed to explore the survival of AIDS patients treated with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in addition to combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) and of AIDS patients treated with cART. Data of patients taking cART between 30 October 2003 and 30 October 2004 in the National TCM HIV Treatment Trial Program area were retrospectively analyzed, with follow-up from 30 October 2004 to 30 October 2012. The log-rank test was used to compare survival between the two groups. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to determine hazard ratios to identify prognostic factors. The study included 521 patients in the TCM + cART group followed up for 3548 person-years and 375 patients in the cART group followed up for 2523 person-years. Mortality rates were 3.2/100 person-years and 4.2/100 person-years in the TCM + cART and cART groups, respectively. The difference in survival was significant. After adjusting for explanatory variables, the mortality rate of AIDS patients in the cART group was 1.7 times higher than in the TCM + cART group. Male sex, older age, little education, and lower CD4 cell count were risk factors for mortality. TCM intervention in addition to cART could increase survival of AIDS patients.

HIV symptom burden and anemia among HIV-positive individuals: cross-sectional results of a community-based positive living with HIV (POLH) study in Nepal

Background

Previous research has reported high rates of anemia in people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in hospital or tertiary care settings. The objective of this community-based study was to measure the prevalence of anemia and describe the risk factors, with a specific emphasis on HIV symptom burden, in PLWHA in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 319 PLWHA residing in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. We recruited participants from five non-governmental organizations in the Kathmandu Valley. Descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used.

Results

Our study found a 55.8% prevalence of anemia in PLWHA in the Kathmandu Valley. The prevalence of anemia among the participants with first, second, third, and fourth quartiles of HIV symptom burden was 44.8%, 49.3%, 60.3%, and 69.6%, respectively. Compared to the participants with lowest level of HIV symptom burden, the participants with highest level of HIV symptom burden were more likely to have anemia (adjusted odds ratio = 2.14; 95% confidence interval = 1.07 to 4.30).

Conclusion

Due to a high prevalence of anemia in a community-based sample of PLWHA, HIV patients should be counseled on their risk of developing anemia and encouraged to seek timely care for HIV symptoms.