Scaling-up access to antiretroviral therapy for children: a cohort study evaluating care and treatment at mobile and hospital-affiliated HIV clinics in rural Zambia.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Travel time and distance are barriers to care for HIV-infected children in rural sub-Saharan Africa. Decentralization of care is one strategy to scale-up access to antiretroviral therapy (ART), but few programs have been evaluated. We compared outcomes for children receiving care in mobile and hospital-affiliated HIV clinics in rural Zambia.

Methods

Outcomes were measured within an ongoing cohort study of HIV-infected children seeking care at Macha Hospital, Zambia from 2007 to 2012. Children in the outreach clinic group received care from the Macha HIV clinic and transferred to one of three outreach clinics. Children in the hospital-affiliated clinic group received care at Macha HIV clinic and reported Macha Hospital as the nearest healthcare facility.

Results

SUBMITTER: van Dijk JH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4133342 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature