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. 2016 Jul;28(5):416-22.
doi: 10.1177/1010539516650721. Epub 2016 May 23.

Antiretroviral Therapy Initiation Following Policy Changes: Observations From China

Li Li  1 , Guoping Ji  2 , Chunqing Lin  3 , Li-Jung Liang  3 , Chiao-Wen Lan  3
Affiliations

Antiretroviral Therapy Initiation Following Policy Changes: Observations From China

Li Li et al. Asia Pac J Public Health. 2016 Jul.

Abstract

China's HIV/AIDS treatment policies have been evolving over the preceding decade. This study describes patterns of antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation for a sample of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) in rural Anhui, China, where most PLHIV were infected via paid plasma donation during the 1990s. A total of 481 PLHIV who were receiving ART were included in our analyses. Times between HIV diagnosis and the initiation of ART were examined relative to the time points when major ART-related policies changed in China. More than half (53%) of PLHIV who had been diagnosed by 2003 received ART within 6 months, whereas 93% of PLHIV who had been diagnosed in 2010 or later received ART within 6 months. The study results provide additional support that the "Four Frees and One Care" policy in 2003 and the relaxation of ART eligibility in 2010 have facilitated the initiation of treatment for PLHIV in China.

Keywords: China; HIV; antiretroviral therapy; policy; treatment outcome.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Interval between HIV diagnosis and antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation stratified by the time of HIV diagnosis.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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