Early active follow-up of patients on antiretroviral therapy (ART) who are lost to follow-up: the 'Back-to-Care' project in Lilongwe, Malawi.

Objectives: To determine the proportion of patients returning to antiretroviral treatment (ART) and factors associated with their return in a resource-limited setting.

Methods: Between September 2006 and March 2009, at two ART-providing facilities in Lilongwe, Malawi, we identified patients who had missed clinic appointments by more than 3 weeks and therefore would have run out of antiretroviral drugs. We traced these individuals, documented reasons for missed appointments and, where appropriate, arranged another ART clinic appointment.