Early loss of HIV-infected patients on potent antiretroviral therapy programmes in lower-income countries.

Martin W.G. Brinkhof (1) , François Dabis (1, 2) , Landon Myer (1) , David R. Bangsberg (1) , Andrew Boulle (1) , Denis Nash (1) , Mauro Schechter (1) , Christian Laurent (1) , Olivia Keiser (1) , Margaret May (1) , Eduardo Sprinz (1) , Matthias Egger (1) , Xavier Anglaret (1)

1 Desmond Tutu HIV Centre
2 Epidémiologie, santé publique et développement

OBJECTIVE: To analyse the early loss of patients to antiretroviral therapy (ART) programmes in resource-limited settings. METHODS: Using data on 5491 adult patients starting ART (median age 35 years, 46% female) in 15 treatment programmes in Africa, Asia and South America with (3) 12 months of follow-up, we investigated risk factors for no follow-up after treatment initiation, and loss to follow-up or death in the first 6 months. FINDINGS: Overall, 211 patients (3.8%) had no follow-up, 880 (16.0%) were lost to follow-up and 141 (2.6%) were known to have died in the first 6 months. The probability of no follow-up was higher in 2003-2004 than in 2000 or earlier (odds ratio, OR: 5.06; 95% confidence interval, CI: 1.28-20.0), as was loss to follow-up (hazard ratio, HR: 7.62; 95% CI: 4.55-12.8) but not recorded death (HR: 1.02; 95% CI: 0.44-2.36). Compared with a baseline CD4-cell count (3) 50 cells/microl, a count < 25 cells/microl was associated with a higher probability of no follow-up (OR: 2.49; 95% CI: 1.43-4.33), loss to follow-up (HR: 1.48; 95% CI: 1.23-1.77) and death (HR: 3.34; 95% CI: 2.10-5.30). Compared to free treatment, fee-for-service programmes were associated with a higher probability of no follow-up (OR: 3.71; 95% CI: 0.97-16.05) and higher mortality (HR: 4.64; 95% CI: 1.11-19.41). CONCLUSION: Early patient losses were increasingly common when programmes were scaled up and were associated with a fee for service and advanced immunodeficiency at baseline. Measures to maximize ART programme retention are required in resource-poor countries.

Domaines: Santé publique et épidémiologie

Martin W.G. Brinkhof, François Dabis, Landon Myer, David R. Bangsberg, Andrew Boulle, et al.. Early loss of HIV-infected patients on potent antiretroviral therapy programmes in lower-income countries.. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 2008, 86 (7), pp.559-67. ⟨10.2471/07.044248⟩. ⟨inserm-00182959⟩