SynthesisPloS one2023
Prevalence of delayed antiretroviral therapy initiation among people living with HIV: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in PloS one, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Mortality and predictors among HIV-TB co-infected patients in Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.PloS one · 2025Pooled it
- Beyond knowledge deficits: social visibility, family dynamics, and delayed initiation among people living with HIV in Southwestern China-a descriptive phenomenological study.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Predicting ART initiation through intertemporal preferences: development and validation of a decision-making preferences scale for ART initiation.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Delayed ART initiation and poor immune reconstitution among drug-using HIV patients in two hospitals in China: a retrospective cohort study.BMC infectious diseases · 2026Article
- Survival outcomes of older people living with HIV from 2001 to 2020 in Hunan, China: a retrospective cohort study.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Advanced HIV disease among newly diagnosed clients identified through community- and facility-based HIV testing services in Eswatini: a cross-sectional study.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Effect of rapid antiretroviral therapy initiation on loss to follow-up, virologic failure, and immunologic failure among people living with HIV under the treat-all policy in China: a retrospective cohort study (2016-2023).Frontiers in medicine · 2026Article
- Investigating strategies to enhance access to HIV services among children in Malawi: A multifaceted research approach, study protocol.PloS one · 2026Article
- Analysis of factors influencing rapid treatment initiation decisions among people living with HIV: focusing on the role of social support.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Effect of a combined education program (game + health education) on antiretroviral treatment adherence among newly diagnosed youth with HIV: protocol for a randomized controlled trial.BMC public health · 2025Article
- HIV Infection in Portugal: Measuring the Time Between Linkage to Care and Antiretroviral Therapy Initiation.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- The delivery of new tuberculosis vaccines to people living with HIV - when to vaccinate?BMC infectious diseases · 2025Article
- Scale of differentiated service delivery implementation in HIV care facilities in low- and middle-income countries: a global facility survey.Journal of the International AIDS Society · 2025Article
- Experience in Diagnostic of HIV Drug Resistance in the Mekong Delta Region, Vietnam: A Comparative Analysis Before and After the COVID-19 Pandemic.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Temporal trends from HIV diagnosis to ART initiation among adults living with HIV in the Asia-Pacific (2013-2023).AIDS research and therapy · 2025Observational
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveHIV continues to be a global challenge. Key recommendations for HIV prevention and treatment are presented on rapid antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation. However, several studies showed a high prevalence of delayed ART initiation. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess the prevalence of delayed ART initiation among HIV-infected patients globally.
methodsThis review summarised eligible studies conducted between January 2015 and August 2022 on the prevalence of delayed ART initiation in HIV-infected adults (age ≥ 15). Relevant studies were systematic searched through PubMed/Medline, EMBASE, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, and Chongqing VIP databases. Random-effects models were used to calculate pooled prevalence estimates. The heterogeneity was evaluated using Cochran's Q test and I2 statistics. Moreover, potential sources of heterogeneity were explored using univariate subgroup analysis.
resultsData on the prevalence of delayed ART initiation was pooled across 29 studies involving 34,937 participants from 15 countries. The overall pooled prevalence of delayed ART initiation was 36.1% [95% confidence interval (CI), 29.7-42.5%]. In subgroup analysis, the estimated pooled prevalence decreased with age. By sex, the prevalence was higher among male patients (39.3%, 95% CI: 32.2-46.4%) than female (36.5%, 95% CI: 26.9-50.7%). Patients with high CD4 cell count were more likely to delay ART initiation than those with low CD4 cell count (>500cells/mm3: 40.3%; 201-500cells/mm3: 33.4%; and ≤200cells/mm3: 25.3%).
conclusionsOur systematic review and meta-analysis identified a high prevalence of delayed ART initiation. The prolonged time interval between diagnosis and treatment is a prevalent and unaddressed problem that should spur initiatives from countries globally. Further research is urgently needed to identify effective strategies for promoting the early ART initiation.
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