Generic Antiretroviral Therapy Works Well in Haiti

Treatment-naive patients receiving generic NNRTI-based potent combination antiretroviral therapy in Haiti have had positive results similar to those seen in the U.S.

Improving access to effective antiretroviral therapy in resource-poor areas could dramatically improve the health of HIV-infected patients and reduce the damaging stigma associated with HIV/AIDS. Concerns persist, however, about whether generic antiretrovirals can achieve acceptable outcomes in these regions. New study results from Haiti are encouraging in this regard: They describe the first 1004 HIV-infected, treatment-naive patients to have received antiretroviral therapy in Port-au-Prince since March 2003 (94 children and 910 adults, including adolescents).

At baseline, adults had a median CD4 count of 131 cells/mm³, and children had a median CD4 percentage of 13%. Most patients (47% of adults and 62% of children) received AZT + 3TC + ef…

Reviewing Author

Keith Henry, MD

Generic Antiretroviral Therapy Works Well in Haiti

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Reviewing Author