Objective: To investigate the effect of highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) on reducing HIV/AIDS related death.
Methods: The analysis was conducted by using the data of 4,148 HIV/AIDS cases reported in Hebei province from 1989 to 2013. Regular follow-up, CD4 detection, registration of death were carried out for them. Free HAART has been provided to people living with HIV/AIDS who met the treatment requirement since 2003.
Results: Of 4,148 HIV/AIDS cases, 12,451.48 person years were observed, 968 cases died due to all registered death causes. The death density was 7.77/100 person years. The death density was 2.87/100 person years for the HIV/AIDS cases receiving HAART, and 16.58/100 for the HIV/AIDS cases receiving no HAART. In 1,894 AIDS cases, a total of 4,774.48 person years were observed from onset to death, 581 cases died due to all registered death causes, and the death density was 121.69/100 person years. The death density was 4.77/100 person years for the cases receiving HAART, and 125.92/100 person years for the cases receiving no HAART. In the cases with CD less than 200/mm3, the death density was 22.9/100 person years for those receiving no HAART and 5.3/100 person years for those receiving HAART. The annual analysis found that the death rate due to all registered death causes declined as the increase of HAART coverage in people living with HIV/AIDS. The expanding of HAART coverage in people infected with HIV can reduce death rate among them.
Conclusion: Further expanding of HAART can effectively reduce the death among people living with HIV/AIDS.