Preventing HIV Transmission : a New Argument for Tracing Patients Lost to Follow-Up ?

ABSTRACT

Loss to follow-up (LTFU) is a serious problem in most sub-Saharan African ART programmes. If ART is interrupted or reduced; HIV again progresses; and this increases the risk of opportunistic infections and; ultimately; AIDS and death. In addition; the viral load of a patient who interrupts ART will rebound; and the probability of onward transmission increases. If tracing programmes can accelerate the return of lost patients; these patients may be less likely to transmit the virus; since the period of lapsed treatment is shortened. In this study; we created a mathematical model to determine whether tracing patients LTFU from ART programs would lower the rate of HIV transmission