cART prescription trends in a prospective HIV cohort in rural Tanzania from 2007 to 2011.

Background: Since 2010, World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines discourage using stavudine in first-line regimens due to frequent and severe side effects. This study describes the implementation of this recommendation and trends in usage of antiretroviral therapy combinations in a cohort of HIV-positive patients in rural Tanzania.

Methods: We analyzed longitudinal, prospectively collected clinical data of HIV-1 infected adults initiating antiretroviral therapy within the Kilombero Ulanga Antiretroviral Cohort (KIULARCO) in Ifakara, Tanzania from 2007-2011.

Uptake of guidelines on prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV in rural Tanzania: time for change.

Guidelines on prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are inconsistently implemented in low-income countries. Strategies are needed to improve the uptake of these guidelines to prevent avoidable new HIV infections of infants. In 2010 the World Health Organisation presented its new PMTCT guidelines, offering two options for short courses of antiretroviral prophylaxis: Option A and Option B.

Viral hepatitis and rapid diagnostic test based screening for HBsAg in HIV-infected patients in rural Tanzania.

Background: Co-infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) is highly prevalent in people living with HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa. Screening for HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) before initiation of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) is recommended. However, it is not part of diagnostic routines in HIV programs in many resource-limited countries although patients could benefit from optimized antiretroviral therapy covering both infections.