Timing and Predictors of Initiation on Antiretroviral Therapy Among Newly-Diagnosed HIV-Infected Persons in South Africa.

Despite a decade of advancing HIV/AIDS treatment policy in South Africa, 20% of people living with HIV (PLHIV) eligible for antiretroviral treatment (ART) remain untreated. To inform universal test and treat (UTT) implementation in South Africa, this analysis describes the rate, timeliness and determinants of ART initiation among newly diagnosed PLHIV. This analysis used routine data from 35 purposively selected primary clinics in three high HIV-burden districts of South Africa from June 1, 2014 to March 31, 2015.

Efficacy of a lay health worker led group antiretroviral medication adherence training among non-adherent HIV-positive patients in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: results from a randomized trial.

There is a lack of theory-based randomized controlled trials to examine the effect of antiretroviral adherence in sub-Saharan Africa. We assessed the effectiveness of a lay health worker lead structured group intervention to improve adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) in a cohort of HIV-infected adults. This two-arm randomized controlled trial was undertaken at an HIV clinic in a district hospital in South Africa.

Antiretrovirals and the use of traditional, complementary and alternative medicine by HIV patients in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa: a longitudinal study.

The aim of this prospective study (20 months) was to assess HIV patients' use of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicine (TCAM) and its effect on ARV adherence at three public hospitals in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Seven hundred and thirty-five (29.8% male and 70.

Remodeling pharmaceutical care in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) amidst human resources challenges and the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

Pharmaceutical care, meant to complement a proper drug supply system, is a key component of a robust health care system and is the direct, responsible provision of medication-related care designed to achieve definite outcomes that improve a patient's quality of life. Beyond simply dispensing medicine, pharmaceutical care promotes adherence to therapeutic regimens and addresses problems such as overdosage, sub-therapeutic dosage, adverse drug reactions, medication errors, and untreated indications. The dearth of health care workers trained in pharmaceutical care coupled with inadequate access to medications creates multiple disease management challenges in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), which has 25% of the world's disease burden but only 1.

Traditional complementary and alternative medicine and antiretroviral treatment adherence among HIV patients in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa.

Adherence to antiretroviral medication in the treatment of HIV is critical, both to maximize efficacy and to minimize the emergence of drug resistance. The aim of this prospective study in three public hospitals in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, is to assess the use of Traditional Complementary and Alternative Medicine (TCAM) by HIV patients and its effect on antiretroviral (ARV) adherence 6 months after initiating ARVs. 735 (29.

Follow-up survey of women who have undergone a prevention of mother-to-child transmission program in a resource-poor setting in South Africa.

The aim of this study was to investigate the implementation of a prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) program and to evaluate the uptake and adherence to single-dose nevirapine in a cohort sample that had undergone PMTCT in five public clinics in a resource-poor setting, Quakeni Local Service Area, O.R. Tambo District in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.

Use of traditional complementary and alternative medicine for HIV patients in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Background: Traditional medicine use has been reported is common among individuals with moderate and advanced HIV disease. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to assess the use of Traditional Complementary and Alternative Medicine (TCAM) for HIV patients prior to initiating antiretroviral therapy in three public hospitals in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Methods: Using systematic sampling, 618 HIV-positive patients were selected from outpatient departments from three hospitals and interviewed with a questionnaire.

Instability of lopinavir/ritonavir capsules at ambient temperatures in sub-Saharan Africa: relevance to WHO antiretroviral guidelines.

WHO recommends lopinavir/ritonavir as an antiretroviral option in resource-limited countries. Lopinavir/ritonavir is recommended to be stored at 2-8 degrees C until dispensing, and afterwards, may be kept at < or = 25 degrees C for < or = 2 months. Anticipating lopinavir/ritonavir use in countries lacking adequate cold-chains, we assessed its physical and chemical stability at 35 and 45 degrees C.