Many Africans don't continue HIV treatment

BOSTON, Oct. 16 (UPI) -- A U.S. study suggested more than one-third of Africans receiving human immunodeficiency virus medication die or discontinue treatment within two years.

Boston University researcher Sydney Rosen and colleagues analyzed seven years of scientific reports about adult patients remaining on antiviral treatment in 13 sub-Saharan African countries.

The study found 77.5 percent of patients remained on treatment after an average period of 9.9 months. The average retention rate at two years was estimated at 61.6 percent, with individual programs ranging between 46 percent and 85 percent.

The researchers suggested one way to improve retention might be to start treating people with HIV earlier, before they become seriously ill.

The study is presented in the journal PLoS Medicine.