Increased All-cause Mortality in People With HIV and Comorbidities: Hepatitis B and C Virus Seropositivity and Hyperglycemia in Myanmar, 2005-2017.

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) coinfection are associated with increased mortality in people with HIV (PWH), and hyperglycemia is a common comorbidity in PWH. In this study, we used routinely collected clinical data to assess the associations between HBV and HCV seropositivity with all-cause mortality and whether this relationship differs by hyperglycemia status. Methods: Eligible participants included adult PWH (≥15 years) who initiated antiretroviral therapy between May 2005 and June 2016 in Myanmar. HBV and HCV serostatus and hyperglycemia were measured at enrollment to HIV care using HBV surface antigen, HCV antibody tests, and random blood glucose (≥140 mg/dL), respectively. Results: Among 27 722 PWH, 2260 (8%) were HBV seropositive, 2265 (9%) were HCV seropositive, 178 (0.6%) were HBV-HCV seropositive, and 1425 (5%) had hyperglycemia. During the median follow-up (interquartile range) of 3.1 (1.5-5.1) years, 3655 (13%) PWH died, and the overall mortality rate was 3.8 (95% CI, 3.7-3.9) per 100-person-years (PY). The mortality rate (per 100 PY) among PWH who were HBV seropositive was 4.6, among PWH who were HCV seropositive it was 5.1, and among PWH who were HBV-HCV seropositive it was 7.1. When stratified by glycemic status, the mortality rate was higher among patients with hyperglycemia compared with those with euglycemia (5.4 vs 4.0 per 100 PY), and the difference in mortality rate between patients with hyperglycemia and euglycemia was highest among those with HCV seropositivity (9.8 vs 5.0 per 100 PY). Conclusions: Increased mortality rates associated with HBV and HCV seropositivity in PWH differed by their glycemic status. PWH with HCV seropositivity and hyperglycemia had the highest mortality rates.

Quality of Malaria Treatment Provided under 'Better Health Together' Project in Ethnic Communities of Myanmar: How Are We Performing?

Malaria accounted for 18% of all deaths in the ethnic communities of Myanmar. In this cross-sectional study, we assessed the extent of and factors associated with receipt of quality malaria treatment services provided by integrated community malaria volunteer (ICMV) under six ethnic health organisations. Data of people with malaria diagnosed by rapid diagnostic tests during 2017-2018 were extracted from the ICMV registers. Documentation of prescribing a complete course of drugs was used to assess quality. Of 2881 people with malaria, village-based ICMV diagnosed and treated 2279 (79%) people. Overall, 2726 (95%) people received correct drugs in the correct dose and adequate duration appropriate to malaria species, age and pregnancy status while 1285 (45%) people received 'correct and timely (within 24 h of fever)' treatment. Children under five years, those with severe malaria, mixed infection and falciparum malaria were less likely to receive the correct treatment. When compared to health posts, village-based ICMVs and mobile teams performed better in providing correct treatment and mobile teams in providing 'correct and timely' treatment. This calls for ensuring the early presentation of people to health workers within 24 h of undifferentiated fever through health promotion initiatives. Future studies should assess adherence to medication and clinical improvement.

Initiation of antiretroviral therapy or antiretroviral prophylaxis in pregnant women living with HIV registered in five townships of Mandalay, Myanmar: A cross sectional study.

BACKGROUND: A series of interventions are required to prevent mother to child transmission (PMTCT) of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) starting from HIV testing of pregnant women, initiating antiretroviral therapy (ART) or antiretroviral prophylaxis to HIV-positive pregnant women to providing HIV prophylaxis to newborn babies. Gaps in each step can significantly affect the effectiveness of PMTCT interventions. We aimed to determine the gap in initiation of ART/antiretroviral prophylaxis for pregnant women living with HIV, delay in initiation of ART/antiretroviral prophylaxis and factors associated with the delay. METHODS: This is a cross sectional study using routinely collected programme data from five health facilities providing PMTCT services located at Township Health Departments (THD) of Mandalay, Myanmar. RESULTS: There were 363 pregnant women living with HIV enrolled between January 2012 and December 2017. Sixty (16%) women were excluded from the study due to missing data on dates of HIV diagnosis. Of 303 (84%) women included in the study, 89/303 (29%) and 214/303 (71%) were diagnosed with HIV before and during current pregnancy respectively. Among 214 women, 180 (84%) women were started on ART by the censor date (31st March 2018). Among those who started ART, 109 (61%) women had a delay of starting ART > 2 weeks from diagnosis. Women residing in township 4 had a significantly higher risk of delay in initiation of ART/antiretroviral prophylaxis compared to women residing in township 1 [adjusted prevalence ratio 4.2 (95% confidence interval 1.2-14.8]. CONCLUSIONS: We found that one in four women living with HIV knew their HIV status before current pregnancy. Although the rate of ART/antiretroviral prophylaxis initiation was high among pregnant women living with HIV, there was a delay. Early initiation of ART/antiretroviral prophylaxis among newly HIV diagnosed pregnant women needs to be strengthened.

Corrigendum: Hyperglycemia and Risk of All-cause Mortality Among People Living With HIV With and Without Tuberculosis Disease in Myanmar (2011-2017).

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofy355.].

Hyperglycemia and Risk of All-cause Mortality Among People Living With HIV With and Without Tuberculosis Disease in Myanmar (2011-2017).

BACKGROUND: There is limited empirical evidence on the relationship between hyperglycemia, tuberculosis (TB) comorbidity, and mortality in the context of HIV. We assessed whether hyperglycemia at enrollment in HIV care was associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality and whether this relationship was different among patients with and without TB disease. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of adult (≥15 years) HIV-positive patients enrolled into HIV care between 2011 and 2016 who had random blood glucose (RBG) measurements at enrollment. We used hazards regression to estimate associations between RBG and rate of all-cause mortality. RESULTS: Of 25 851 patients, 43% were female, and the median age was 36 years. At registration, the median CD4 count (interquartile range [IQR]) was 162 (68-310) cell/mm3, the median RBG level (IQR) was 88 (75-106) mg/dL, and 6.2% (95% confidence interval [CI], 6.0%-6.5%) had hyperglycemia (RBG ≥140 mg/dL). Overall 29% of patients had TB disease, and 15% died during the study period. The adjusted hazard of death among patients with hyperglycemia was significantly higher (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.2; 95% CI, 1.1-1.4) than among those with normoglycemia without TB disease, but not among patients with TB disease (aHR, 1.0; 95% CI, 0.8-1.2). Using 4 categories of RBG and restricted cubic spline regression, aHRs for death were significantly increased in patients with RBG of 110-140 mg/dL (categorical model: aHR, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.2-1.4; restricted spline: aHR, 1.1; 95% CI, 1.0-1.1) compared with those with RBG <110 mg/dL. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight an urgent need to evaluate hyperglycemia screening and diagnostic algorithms and to ultimately establish glycemic targets for PLHIV with and without TB disease.

Uptake of antiretroviral therapy in HIV-positive women ever enrolled into 'prevention of mother to child transmission' programme, Mandalay, Myanmar-a cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Early initiation and longer duration of anti-retroviral therapy either as prophylaxis (pARV) or lifelong treatment (ART) in HIV-positive pregnant women prior to delivery has a huge impact in reducing mother to child transmission (MTCT) of HIV, maternal morbidity, mortality and increasing retention in care. In this study, we aimed to determine the following in a 'prevention of mother-to-child transmission' (PMTCT) programme in Central Women Hospital, Mandalay, Myanmar: i) uptake of ART and factors associated with the uptake ii) duration of ART/ pARV received by HIV-positive pregnant women prior to delivery, iii) factors associated with ART/ pARV initiation after delivery and iv) factors associated with shorter duration of ART/ pARV (≤ 8 weeks prior to delivery). METHOD: This was a retrospective cohort study using routinely collected data from PMTCT programme. We used multivariable Cox proportional Hazard model or log binomial models to assess the association between socio-demographic and clinical factors with a) uptake of ART/pARV, b) initiation of ART/pARV after delivery, c) shorter (≤8 weeks) duration of ART/PARV prior to delivery. RESULTS: Of the 670 ART naïve HIV-positive women enrolled to PMTCT programme between March 2011 and December 2016, 588 (88%) were initiated on ART/pARV. In adjusted analysis, only pregnancy stage at enrolment was significantly associated with initiation of ART/pARV. Of 585 who had delivered babies on or before the censor date, 522 (89%) were on ART/pARV. Women who lived outside Mandalay were more likely to be initiated on ART after delivery (i.e., delayed ART initiation in those on ART). Among women who were initiated on ART/pARV before delivery (n = 468), only 59% got ART/pARV for > 8 weeks before delivery. Women whose spouses' HIV status was not recorded had 40% higher risk of short duration of ART/pARV. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows high uptake of ART/pARV among those enrolled into the PMTCT programme. However, about one in eight pregnant women did not receive ART before delivery. Among those initiated on ART/pARV before delivery, nearly half of them received ART/pARV for less than 8 weeks prior to delivery. These aspects need to be improved in order to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

Low mother-to-child HIV transmission rate but high loss-to-follow-up among mothers and babies in Mandalay, Myanmar; a cohort study.

INTRODUCTION: Loss-to-follow-up (LTFU) throughout the Prevention of Mother-To-Child Transmission (PMTCT) cascade remains one of the major threats to the success of PMTCT programs. In this study, we aimed to determine the mother-to-child transmission rate in a programmatic setting and to determine factors associated with LTFU among enrolled mothers and unfavorable outcomes among HIV-exposed babies which includes being HIV positive, death and LTFU. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study reviewing routinely collected data in an Integrated HIV care program, Mandalay, Myanmar in June 2016.LTFU means mother/infant missing appointed visit for more than three months. RESULTS: Of 678 pregnant women enrolled in PMTCT program between March 2011 and June 2014, one stillbirth and 607 live births were recorded in this cohort. Of 457 HIV-exposed babies with HIV-test recorded at the end of the intervention, nine (2%) were HIV-positive. Pregnant women's and exposed-babies' LTFU rate was 7 per 1000 person-years, and 10 per 1000 person-years respectively. PMTCT option B protocol was found to be significantly associate with maternal LTFU [adjusted Hazard Ratio (aHR) 95% CI: 3.52 (1.38-8.96)] when compare to mothers receiving option B+/lifelong antiretroviral therapy (ART). Weight <2.5 Kg at enrolment, receiving mixed-feeding, vaginal delivery and option B PMTCT protocol were significantly associated with unfavorable outcomes among exposed babies [aHR(95% CI): 5.40 (1.66-17.53), 5.91(1.68-20.84), 2.27 (1.22-4.22) and 2.33 (1.16-4.69) respectively]. CONCLUSION: Mother-to-child HIV transmission rate in this public hospital-based program was lower than the 5% national target, which indicates a successful PMTCT intervention. However, a high proportion of HIV-infected mothers and exposed babies LTFU was recorded. Lifelong ART provision to HIV-positive pregnant women was shown to reduce exposed babies' LTFU, death and transmission rate (unfavorable outcomes) in this setting. Lessons learned from this program could be used to inform policy and practice in the country, while the programmatic challenge of LTFU should be urgently addressed.