Leveraging rapid implementation of an HIV treatment policy to reduce confounding in observational analysis of antiretroviral outcomes

摘要

Since their inception, HIV treatment programmes in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) have implemented a number of changes in the initiation, mode of delivery, and monitoring of antiretroviral therapy (ART). The initial scale-up was facilitated by the availability of inexpensive, effective fixed-dose combination drug regimens. Stavudine (d4T), in combination with lamivudine and efavirenz or nevira-pine, was an important component of the initial regimens (Wester et al. 2005; Stringer et al. 2006; Assefa & Kloos 2008). However, the short- and long-term toxicities of d4T constrained its continued use.