Johannesberg, Feb 29 (IANS) Home-based antiretroviral treatment (ART) could significantly cut down mortality rate among adults with HIV, especially in resource-poor countries, a new study has found. ART is the most effective clinical intervention for reduction of HIV-related mortality. It is increasingly available in developing countries where 90 percent of the HIV-infected live, including Africa.

However, ART treatment still remains out of the reach of people in Africa. Problems include high costs of medication, inadequate numbers of healthcare workers, poorly equipped clinics, and long distances between people’s homes and health centres.

Jonathan Mermin of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Kenya, and colleagues began their analysis with a study of HIV-infected adults and HIV-uninfected household members in Uganda.

They provided a daily dose of co-trimoxazole prophylaxis to patients and had no intervention in a control group.

Compared with no intervention, ART and co-trimoxazole were associated with a 95 percent reduction in mortality in HIV-infected participants, an 81 percent reduction in mortality in their uninfected children younger than 10 years, and a 93 percent estimated reduction in orphan hood.

The findings of the study have been published in the latest issue of the journal Lancet