Effects of implementing universal and rapid HIV treatment on initiation of antiretroviral therapy and retention in care in Zambia: a natural experiment using regression discontinuity.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Universal testing and treatment (UTT) for all people living with HIV has only been assessed under experimental conditions in cluster-randomised trials. The public health effectiveness of UTT policies on the HIV care cascade under real-world conditions is not known. We assessed the real-world effectiveness of universal HIV treatment policies that were implemented in Zambia on Jan 1, 2017.

Methods

We used data from Zambia's routine electronic health record system to analyse antiretroviral therapy (ART)-naive adults who newly enrolled in HIV care up to 1 year before and after the implementation of universal treatment (ie, Jan 1, 2016, to Jan 1, 2018) at 117 clinics supported by the Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia. We used a regression discontinuity d

SUBMITTER: Mody A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8639712 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature