BBC Headline says “HIV treatment ‘failing’ in Africa.” Do you agree?
A BBC news headline reported yesterday, "HIV treatment ‘failing’ in Africa". The news item goes on to say, “More than a third of patients on HIV medication in sub-Saharan Africa die or discontinue their treatment within two years of starting it, a survey shows.” The report is based on a newly-published report in Public Library of Science Medicine.
I have not yet read the article but will soon. Meanwhile, here are two questions for you to think about and, if you want, comment below.
- Is it a “failure” that 61% of patients are alive and continuing treatment after two years in a program taking antiretroviral (anti-HIV) drugs?
- The study includes reports published between 2000 and 2007. Do the results take into account any changes in during that time? That is, are programs more or less effective now than they were 10 years ago? Is there enough information to know? Again, I haven’t read it yet but it’s a good question to consider as you read.
Rosen S, Fox MP, Gill CJ. Patient Retention in Antiretroviral Therapy Programs in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review. PLoS Med 4(10): e298. Oct 2007. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.0040298. Free access.