Teachers and Antiretroviral Therapy in Malawi
Author Information
Author(s): Makombe Simon D., Jahn Andreas, Tweya Hannock, Chuka Stuart, Yu Joseph Kwong-Leung, Hochgesang Mindy, Aberle-Grasse John, Thambo Lameck, Schouten Erik J., Kamoto Kelita, Harries Anthony D.
Primary Institution: Clinical HIV Unit, Ministry of Health, Lilongwe, Malawi
Hypothesis
What is the impact of antiretroviral therapy (ART) access on teachers in Malawi?
Conclusion
The rapid scale-up of ART has enabled 2,380 HIV-positive teachers in Malawi to access life-prolonging treatment.
Supporting Evidence
- By September 30th 2006, 2,643 teachers had accessed ART in Malawi.
- 1,850 teachers were alive on ART by the end of the study period.
- Retention in treatment was better for women and those starting ART in earlier clinical stages.
Takeaway
This study shows that many teachers in Malawi are getting treatment for HIV, which helps them live longer and continue teaching.
Methodology
A retrospective cohort study using patient follow-up records from ART registers across 138 clinics in Malawi.
Potential Biases
Occupation data was unknown for about 5% of patients, which may have led to undercounting of teachers accessing ART.
Limitations
The study could not track individual teachers who transferred between clinics, leading to potential double-counting.
Participant Demographics
Of the 2,643 teachers, 1,113 were male and 1,530 were female, with a mean age of 40.1 years for men and 37.0 years for women.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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