ABSTRACT
Background: Nutrition has an important bearing on the health of Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive children. Ascertaining the nutritional demands correctly and provisioning the nutritional needs to HIV positive/ Acquired Immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) children will go a long way in maximizing the therapeutic benefits reaped through ever improving pharmaceutical initiatives, and thus, contribute to prolonging the longevity of these children who have a whole life ahead of them. Objectives: To study the nutritional status, including dietary assessment and anemia status of HIV-positive children, and compare the outcomes among children under homecare (staying with families) and orphanages/institutional care. Methodology: A cross sectional study was carried out among children between 2 and 15 years who were attending Pediatric Outpatient department (OPD) of a tertiary care hospital in western Maharashtra. Data were collected from 106 children by the interviewer himself using pretested validated questionnaire along with anthropometric measures and relevant blood tests. A 24-h recall method was used to collect the dietary intake. Institutional ethical clearance was taken, and data were collected through informed consent of the parent/guardian accompanying the children. Results: Out of the 106 subjects studied, 54 (50.9%) were living in orphanages and 52 (49.1) were living with the family. Out of the 52 subjects of children under caregivers, 48.1% of the caregivers were unskilled workers and more than half of the subjects had a monthly family income of less than Rs 3,000. About 46.1% of the subjects' caregivers were illiterate. In the orphanage, 28 (51.8%) were males and 26 (48.2%) were females; 52 (49.1%) children were living with family of whom 30 (57.7%) were males and 22 (42.3%) were females. The prevalence of anemia (86.5%) and undernutrition (61.1%) was more among those living with family compared to the orphans living in orphanages and the same was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Among the children living in orphanages, the mean intake for most of the nutrients was more across all age groups. Within homecare, the mean nutrient intake of the females for all nutrients was more than the males across all age groups except 3-9 years, where it was more in males. Overall, all the children received less of water-soluble vitamins compared to recommended daily allowances (RDA), and the children of age group 5-15 years received less vitamin A and iron also. Conclusion: Adequate nutrition, which is best achieved through the consumption of a balanced healthy diet, is vital for health and survival for all HIV-infected children. Specific measures to be directed to children under homecare and measures directed to improve social factors need to be undertaken.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Despite the initial success of HIV/AIDS policy, an increasing number of patients are failing the first-line antiretroviral therapy (ART) each year and the failure rates are increasing. There is a need for identification of novel strategies to reduce failure rates. The aims of the study are (1) to design a novel strategy to reduce ART failure rates and (2) to create a stochastic model using Monte Carlo (MC) simulation comparing the novel strategy with existing strategy. METHODS: A novel strategy based on annual plasma viral load testing and resistance testing for HIV treatment at baseline and at the time of failure was designed. A cohort of 1000 patients each was created for the existing strategy and a novel strategy. Assumptions were included from Indian studies and own data. The two strategies were compared over 20 years of follow-up using stochastic modeling and MC simulation was done for death rates, failure rates, and cost-effectiveness analysis. SimVoi add-in software for MS Excel was used for simulations. Student's t-tests were performed for comparing continuous variables, and the cumulative rates for various outcomes were plotted using Kaplan-Meier analysis. RESULTS: The novel strategy resulted in lower mortality over a 20-year period (279.9 + 7.13 deaths vs 130.43 + 6.03 deaths) with incremental cost per life saved at Rs 32,925 per year. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratio cost per quality-adjusted life year was Rs 1.33 lakhs/annum at constant rate of discounting and just under Rs 90,000 per annum using differential discounting. CONCLUSION: Armed Forces are likely to benefit by adopting the novel strategy that is cost-effective with a significant mortality benefit.
