Evidence of improving antiretroviral therapy treatment delays: an analysis of eight years of programmatic outcomes in Blantyre, Malawi

Table 1 Baseline characteristics of ART initiators at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital between 2004 and 2011

Variable	Female	%	Male	%	P-value
Total	8,988		6,961
Median age at initiation (years); IQR	31	25-38	34	27-42	<0.001
Age group at initiation
0-5 years	475	5.3	537	7.8	<0.001
5-15 years	583	6.5	521	7.5
15-25 years	1,042	11.7	335	4.9
25-35 years	3,715	41.6	2,033	29.4
35-45 years	2,077	23.3	2,091	30.3
≥ 45 years	1,040	11.6	1,387	20.1
Site of HIV test
QECH	3,023	33.6	2,361	33.9	0.860
Outside QECH	4,140	46.1	3,176	45.6
Unknown	1,825	20.3	1,424	20.5
WHO stage at initiation
Stage 1 or 2	3,264	36.3	2,094	30.1	<0.001
Stage 3 or 4	5,724	63.7	4,867	69.9
CD4 count (cells/μl)^*
≥ 350	167	3.8	103	3.1	<0.001
250 – 350	1,013	22.9	755	22.7
50 – 250	2,719	61.4	1,930	58.1
<50	528	11.9	533	16.1
Year of ART initiation
2004-2005	562	6.3	404	5.8	<0.001
2005-2006	1,208	13.4	801	11.5
2006-2007	1,250	13.9	887	12.7
2007-2008	1,253	13.9	1,010	14.5
2008-2009	1,249	13.9	964	13.9
2009-2010	1,134	12.6	1,024	14.7
2010-2011	1,154	12.8	1,002	14.4
2011-2012	1,178	13.1	866	12.4
Median time (days) between last positive HIV test and initiation of ART; IQR	36	14-120	33	12-94	0.001

*CD4 count measured in 4,427 women and 3,321 men. Denominator for this variable is number of men and women who had CD4 count measured.

ISSN: 1471-2458