Washington, July 19 (ANI): People with HIV-AIDS in Africa receiving combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) can expect to live a near normal lifespan, according to a new research.
The study is the first large-scale analysis of life expectancy outcomes in Africa for HIV patients on cART and shows significant variance between patient subgroups.
"The substantial life expectancy afforded by widespread access to cART underscores the fact that HIV diagnosis and treatment in resource-limited settings should no longer be considered a death sentence," said principal investigator Dr. Edward Mills, associate researcher at the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS.
"Instead, HIV-infected people should plan and prepare for a long and fulfilling life."
The authors believe that the study, conducted in Uganda, reflects the situation in many other settings in Africa, where simplified HIV/AIDS care in rural, semi-rural and urban settings is available.
"Our findings are further evidence that the global investment in HIV and AIDS programming is clearly working," said Dr. Mark Dybul, a study author who led the implementation of the multibillion-dollar program launched by U.S. President George W. Bush U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) from 2006-2009.
"Healthcare organizations - even in resource-poor settings - are providing services and therapies that offer important, life-saving benefits to people suffering from HIV," he added.
The study was recently published in the prestigious Annals of Internal Medicine. (ANI)
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