Pilot Study of Immediate HIV Treatment in Guangxi, China

The aim of the study is to measure the effectiveness of a pilot program in Guangxi, China to decrease mortality related to HIV/AIDS. In past years, Guangxi has experienced a relatively high rate of late HIV diagnoses, which has contributed to a significant proportion of HIV-related deaths occurring in the same year of initial diagnosis. The study's proposed mechanism of decreasing mortality rates is to shorten the time between initial HIV screening and ART implementation to within two weeks.

Two pilot sites were selected based on past core assessment indicators. The study population consists of participants who received an initial HIV infection diagnosis within the study period. Medical institutions will provide "one-stop services" by following detailed guidelines regarding reporting of positive HIV antibody screenings, further testing procedures, and treatment referrals in accordance with a pre-determined timetable. In addition, additional strategies focusing on policy development, medical personnel training, and a broad general public education campaign will be implemented.

The study will be performed from July,2012 to July,2015. Main assessment measures are HIV-related mortality rates, treatment coverage, or other health outcomes.

1. HIV-related mortality rates of participants who are newly diagnosed during the study period Numerator: Number of all-cause deaths during the study period Denominator: Number of HIV infected patients followed during the study period.
2. Percentage of newly diagnosed HIV-infected participants who receive ART Numerator: Number of patients who are diagnosed with HIV and initiate ART during the study period Denominator: Number of newly reported HIV cases during the study period