COHORT STUDY
Active screening for all new HIV patients at 3 DREAM centers and follow-up at 6 months
Description:
In this phase, all new adult HIV patients in the 3 DREAM centers in the county (Nkubu, Aina, Chaaria), estimated at about 400 people, will be systematically screened for major co-morbidities (hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, kidney disease, hepatitis B and C). The patients then, according to routine, will be followed up and treated with antiretrovirals for HIV and
possibly with other drugs in accordance with national guidelines. In this activity a 6-month follow-up is planned to assess outcomes (in terms of of immunological, nutritional and viral suppression recovery) also in relation to the presence of co-morbidities.
Such a study is of critical importance in order to provide data on the impact that co-morbidities may have on the course of HIV treatment.