Introduction and evaluation of a 'pre-ART care' service in Swaziland: an operational research study.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To implement and evaluate a formal pre-antiretroviral therapy (ART) care service at a district hospital in Swaziland.

Design

Operational research.

Setting

District hospital in Southern Africa.

Participants

1171 patients with a previous diagnosis of HIV. A baseline patient group consisted of the first 200 patients using the service. Two follow-up groups were defined: group 1 was all patients recruited from April to June 2009 and group 2 was 200 patients recruited in February 2010.

Intervention

Introduction of pre-ART care-a package of interventions, including counselling; regular review; clinical staging; timely initiation of ART; social and psychological support; and prevention and management of opportunistic infections, such as tuberculosis.

SUBMITTER: Burtle D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3307034 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature