Two-year treatment outcomes of patients enrolled in India's national first-line antiretroviral therapy programme

We aimed to analyse treatment outcomes of patients receiving first-line antiretroviral therapy (ART) through the national AIDS control programme of India. Using routinely collected programme data, we analysed mortality, CD4 evolution and adherence outcomes over a 2-year period in 972 patients who received first-line ART between 1 October 2004 and 31 January 2005 at 3 government ART centres. Cox regression analysis was used to identify independent predictors of mortality. Of the 972 patients (median age 35 years, 66% men), 71% received the stavudinellamivudine/nevirapine regimen. The median CD4 count of enrolled patients was 119 cells/cmm (interquartile range [IQR] 50-200 cells/ cmm) at treatment initiation; 44% had baseline CD4 count