Analysis of Survival and Associated Risk Factors among HIV/AIDS Patients Who Started Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) in Central, Western and North Gondar Zones, North West Ethiopia
Survival Among HIV/AIDS Patients Who Started ART
Abstract
Background: The rate of spread of the HIV/AIDS and damages accompanying it have reached a level which shock economists, health workers, politicians etc that it has now become a worldwide issue in general and developing countries in particular. Unfortunately all our prevention programs will not realize their targets unless otherwise we give due consideration for people living with HIV/AIDS. Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the socio-economic, demographic and health factors that influence the survival/mortality status of HIV-Positive individuals under ART follow up. Subjects and Methods: A sample of 1066 ART follow-up HIV/AIDS patients card were reviewed in North Gondar Zone using secondary data. We used semi-parametric Cox proportional Hazard model to identify the factors that affect survival time of HIV/AIDS patients after ART analysis. Results & Conclusion: The death rate in the study area was 10.1% from the sample patients. The hazard of death of male HIV/AIDS patients treated under ART 18.87% higher than that of female. Patients their marital status was divorce 25.38% more likely to die as compared to the reference group single patients. The Cox Proportional Hazard model revealed that the factors that affect independently the survival/death time of HIV/AIDS patients who take ART include sex, age, residence, marital status, educational level, condom, clinical stage, CD4, previous counseling attendance about HIV/AIDS. In this study TB infection was not significant on the survival time of HIV. So we recommend other researchers in future to give more attention about this covariate using parametric survival model.