
pmid: 34487837
pmc: PMC8712349
OBJECTIVE To determine whether Treat-All policy impacted laboratory testing practices of antiretroviral therapy (ART) programs in Southern Africa. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING We used HIV cohort data from Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe in a regression discontinuity design to estimate changes in pre-ART CD4 testing and viral load monitoring following national Treat-all adoption that occurred during 2016-2017. This study included more than 230,000 ART-naïve people living with HIV (PLHIV) aged five years or older who started ART within two years of national Treat-All adoption. RESULTS We found pre-ART CD4 testing decreased following adoption of Treat-All recommendations in Malawi (-21.4 percentage points (pp), 95% CI: -26.8, -16.0) and in Mozambique (-8.8pp, 95% CI: -14.9, -2.8), but increased in Zambia (+2.7pp, 95% CI: +0.4, +5.1). Treat-All policy had no effect on viral load monitoring, except among females in South Africa (+7.1pp, 95% CI: +1.1, +13.0). CONCLUSION Treat-All policy expanded ART eligibility, but led to reductions in pre-ART CD4 testing in some countries that may weaken advanced HIV disease management. Continued and expanded support of CD4 and viral load laboratory capacity is needed to further improve treatment successes and allow for uniform evaluation of ART implementation across Southern Africa.
Male, Developing country, Economics, HIV Infections, FOS: Health sciences, Sociology, Diagnosis, Pathology, Viral load, 610 Medicine & health, Southern, Internal medicine, Immunology and Microbiology, Geography, Health Policy, Cohort, Life Sciences, Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), Viral Load, Antiretroviral therapy, FOS: Sociology, Infectious Diseases, Environmental health, Emergency Medicine, Regression Analysis, Medicine, Female, Southern Africa, Cohort study, 360 Social problems & social services, Adult, Regression discontinuity design, CD4 antigen -- Africa, Family medicine, 330, Adolescent, Anti-HIV Agents, Antiretroviral Therapy, 613, Africa, Southern, Young Adult, HIV infections -- Africa, Virology, Health Sciences, Humans, Antiretroviral agents -- Africa, Economic growth, Impact of HIV Infection on Cardiovascular Health, Demography, Prevention and Treatment of HIV/AIDS Infection, Confidence interval, CD4 lymphocyte count, HIV infection, CD4 Lymphocyte Count, Laboratory -- Africa, Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, UCTD
Male, Developing country, Economics, HIV Infections, FOS: Health sciences, Sociology, Diagnosis, Pathology, Viral load, 610 Medicine & health, Southern, Internal medicine, Immunology and Microbiology, Geography, Health Policy, Cohort, Life Sciences, Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), Viral Load, Antiretroviral therapy, FOS: Sociology, Infectious Diseases, Environmental health, Emergency Medicine, Regression Analysis, Medicine, Female, Southern Africa, Cohort study, 360 Social problems & social services, Adult, Regression discontinuity design, CD4 antigen -- Africa, Family medicine, 330, Adolescent, Anti-HIV Agents, Antiretroviral Therapy, 613, Africa, Southern, Young Adult, HIV infections -- Africa, Virology, Health Sciences, Humans, Antiretroviral agents -- Africa, Economic growth, Impact of HIV Infection on Cardiovascular Health, Demography, Prevention and Treatment of HIV/AIDS Infection, Confidence interval, CD4 lymphocyte count, HIV infection, CD4 Lymphocyte Count, Laboratory -- Africa, Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, UCTD
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