The Economic Benefits of High CD4 Counts among People Living with HIV/AIDS in Zambia
BACKGROUND:
The
economic effects of poor immunologic recovery among HIV-infected patients
receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) in sub-Saharan Africa are not well
understood. We examined the relationship between the CD4 counts of patients on
long-term ART and employment outcomes in HIV-affected households in Lusaka,
Zambia.
METHODS:
Administrative
data and a household survey captured information on the clinical records,
demographics and employment outcomes of the ART-treated adults and their adult
family members (n = 311). Multivariable regression analyses were used to assess
relationships between CD4 counts of ART-treated adults and household employment
outcomes.
RESULTS:
Patients
with a CD4 count of at least 350 cells/µl were 22 percentage points more likely
to be engaged in the labor force (P < 0.05) and worked ∼6
more days per month (P < 0.05) and 9 more hours per week (P = 0.05) compared
with patients with a CD4 count <350 cells/µl. Non-patient adults in the
HIV-affected household had significantly higher labor participation if the
patient's CD4 count was ≥500 compared with <500 cells/µl (P < 0.05), but
this was not significant for a CD4 ≥350 versus <350.
CONCLUSION:
These
findings suggest that interventions to improve or maintain robust immune
recovery during ART may confer economic benefits for both HIV-infected
individuals and HIV-affected households.
- 1UNU-MERIT (United Nations University), Maastricht 6211 TC, The Netherlands.
- 2Centre for Infectious Diseases Research in Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia Division of Infectious Diseases, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA.
- J Public Health (Oxf). 2016 Jan 19. pii: fdv199.
No comments:
Post a Comment