Factors Associated with ART Outcomes among Adult (15+) Persons Living with HIV in Zimbabwe in the Multi-Month Scripting (MMS) Regime

Abstract

Volume 5-Issue 2 patients with working functional status. As expected, TB co-infected clients also had higher odds of experiencing treatment failure [AHR=3.06; 95% CI: (1.72 ± 5.44)]. The study further showed that patients who 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 infections during ART initiation was also found to be associated with higher odds of experiencing treatment failure [AHR=7.0, 95% CI: (3.19 ± 15.37)]. 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. Overall, the study by Haile, et al. [5] shows two sets of variables: one with narrower confidence intervals (implying less variability) e.g., having a lower CD4 count, ambulatory status, TB co-infection and poor drug adherence. The other set of variables have wider confidence intervals (implying higher variability) e.g., bed ridden, developing TB after initiation, other OIs and fair drug resistance. This study explores some of the major factors being investigated in this study and provides critical insights into what to potentially expect. That it is a recent study adds value to what is being investigated in this study. However, the study report does not show whether these findings are reflective of a post multi-month scripting era or not. Nonetheless, other reviews done by this researcher show that Ethiopia has adopted the differentiated models of care. Factors associated with survival: A retrospective study conducted by Ram Bajpai, et al. [6] assessed the survival rates and factors associated with survival among adult PLHIV in Andhra Pradesh, India. This research piece used data from 139 679 PLHIV aged ≥ 15 years on ART, registered between 2007 and 2011. These were followed up through December 2013. The outcome of interest was death of the client. The Kaplan-Meier was used to estimate survival, while the Cox-regression models were used to explore the factors associated with survival.