Table 2.
Characteristics of and response to antiretroviral therapy (ART) among HIV‐positive adults in Lesotho, Malawi, Eswatini, Zambia and Zimbabwe (2015 to 2017)
| Lesotho | Malawi | Eswatini | Zambia | Zimbabwe | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N = 2177 | N = 1406 | N = 2025 | N = 1424 | N = 2168 | N = 9200 | |
| Duration on ART, n (%) | 2177 (100.0) | 1406 (100.0) | 2025 (100.0) | 1424 (100.0) | 2168 (100.0) | 9200 (100.0) |
| 4 to 12 months | 336 (15.6) | 144 (10.2) | 251 (12.8) | 169 (12.1) | 216 (10.7) | 1116 (11.5) |
| 1 to 2 years | 285 (13.3) | 188 (13.3) | 283 (13.8) | 186 (13.5) | 275 (12.4) | 1217 (13.1) |
| 2 to 5 years | 574 (25.9) | 434 (30.8) | 613 (30.0) | 383 (26.3) | 734 (33.6) | 2738 (30.1) |
| 5 to 10 years | 630 (28.3) | 417 (29.4) | 609 (29.9) | 415 (28.1) | 702 (31.2) | 2773 (29.6) |
| >10 years | 153 (7.0) | 104 (7.1) | 162 (7.5) | 108 (7.9) | 81 (3.8) | 608 (6.2) |
| Missing | 199 (9.9) | 119 (9.3) | 107 (5.9) | 163 (12.0) | 160 (8.3) | 748 (9.5) |
| Median (IQR) | 4 (1 to 7) | 4 (2 to 7) | 4 (2 to 7) | 4 (2 to 7) | 4 (2 to 6) | 4 (2 to 7) |
| ART regimen, n (%) | 2076 (100.0) | 1357 (100.0) | 1956 (100.0) | 1365 (100.0) | 2049 (100.0) | 8803 (100.0) |
| EFV‐based | 1750 (84.7) | 1257 (93.1) | 1477 (76.2) | 1223 (89.3) | 1970 (96.3) | 7677 (91.3) |
| NVP‐based | 303 (14.1) | 87 (6.2) | 412 (20.4) | 98 (7.4) | 74 (3.4) | 974 (7.2) |
| LPV‐based | 23 (1.2) | 0 (0.0) | 67 (3.4) | 42 (3.1) | 5 (0.3) | 137 (1.2) |
| ATV‐based | NA | 13 (0.7) | NA | 2 (0.1) | NA | 15 (0.2) |
| Adherence, n (%) | 2022 (100.0) | 1299 (100.0) | 1881 (100.0) | 1266 (100.0) | 2019 (100.0) | 8487 (100.0) |
| Optimal | 1769 (87.1) | 1142 (87.4) | 1692 (90.1) | 1154 (90.7) | 1908 (94.2) | 7665 (90.6) |
| Suboptimal | 253 (12.9) | 157 (12.6) | 189 (9.9) | 112 (9.3) | 111 (5.8) | 822 (9.4) |
| CD4 count per µL, n (%) | 2177 (100.0) | 1405 (100.0) | 2024 (100.0) | 1420 (100.0) | 2166 (100.0) | 9192 (100.0) |
| <100 | 52 (2.6) | 34 (2.4) | 25 (1.3) | 35 (2.6) | 74 (3.9) | 220 (2.9) |
| 100 to 199 | 120 (6.1) | 91 (7.5) | 68 (3.5) | 105 (7.9) | 177 (9.4) | 561 (7.8) |
| 200 to 349 | 321 (15.4) | 236 (16.4) | 249 (12.5) | 273 (19.5) | 503 (23.7) | 1582 (19.3) |
| 350 to 499 | 462 (21.9) | 342 (24.5) | 436 (21.5) | 405 (28.1) | 573 (25.2) | 2218 (25.2) |
| ≥500 | 1222 (54.0) | 702 (49.2) | 1246 (61.2) | 602 (41.9) | 839 (37.8) | 4611 (44.8) |
| Median (IQR) | 528 (360 to 701) | 497 (338 to 652) | 571 (409 to 769) | 457 (311 to 622) | 422 (278 to 591) | 467 (315 to 641) |
| Viral load in copies/mL, n (%) a | 2099 (100.0) | 1399 (100.0) | 1973 (100.0) | 1343 (100.0) | 2158 (100.0) | 8972 (100.0) |
| <40 | 1627 (77.2) | 1212 (85.7) | 1577 (79.3) | 1055 (78.6) | 1664 (75.8) | 7135 (79.5) |
| 40 to 999 | 238 (11.6) | 69 (5.6) | 232 (12.3) | 153 (11.1) | 206 (9.6) | 898 (9.2) |
| ≥1000 | 234 (11.2) | 118 (8.7) | 164 (8.4) | 135 (10.3) | 288 (14.6) | 939 (11.3) |
| ART outcome, n (%) | 2177 (100.0) | 1406 (100.0) | 2025 (100.0) | 1424 (100.0) | 2168 (100.0) | 9200 (100.0) |
| Viral load suppression | 1929 (88.5) | 1287 (91.3) | 1858 (91.7) | 1285 (90.1) | 1877 (85.3) | 8236 (88.8) |
| Nonsuppressed viral load | 248 (11.5) | 119 (8.7) | 167 (8.3) | 139 (9.9) | 291 (14.7) | 964 (11.2) |
| Virologic failure | 174 (8.0) | 75 (5.8) | 116 (5.7) | 99 (7.2) | 222 (11.5) | 686 (8.2) |
| Interrupted ART | 74 (3.5) | 44 (2.9) | 51 (2.6) | 40 (2.8) | 69 (3.2) | 278 (3.0) |
Vial load suppression: viral load < 1000 copies/mL; nonsuppressed viral load: viral load ≥ 1000 copies/mL. Virologic failure: nonsuppressed viral load and antiretroviral drugs detected; interrupted ART: nonsuppressed viral load and no antiretroviral drugs detected. Adherence was defined as optimal if a participant reported missing less than two doses of ART in the last 30 days and suboptimal if a participant reported missing two or more doses in the last 30 days. N, number of eligible participants; n, number of participants providing a valid response (weighted %). IQR, interquartile range; ART, antiretroviral therapy; EFV, efavirenz; NVP, nevirapine; LPV, lopinavir; ATV, atazanavir.
Dried blood spot viral load test results (n = 228) could not be classified and were excluded.