Abstract
BACKGROUND: Despite global efforts to improve HIV care, late diagnosis and delayed antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation continue to pose mortality risks among people living with HIV (PLHIV) with advanced HIV disease (AHD). This study investigated factors associated with mortality among PLHIV with AHD in rural North-Central Uganda from January 2018 to December 2021. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed electronic medical records from 18 health facilities, collecting data on demographics and clinical characteristics, including baseline CD4 count, ART regimen, BMI, TB status, TPT use, WHO clinical stage, and viral load. AHD was defined as a baseline CD4 < 200 cells/mm³. Cox proportional hazards modeling identified mortality-associated factors, reported as adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), using a 5% significance level. RESULTS: We analyzed 1161 PLHIV with AHD, contributing 1565.6 person-years. There were 84 deaths (7.2%), yielding a mortality rate of 5.4 per 100 person-years (95% CI: 4.33-6.64). Mortality was significantly associated with age ≥ 50 years (aHR 4.16 [1.77-9.77]), no viral load test (aHR 16.23 [7.44-35.39]), viral load non-suppression (aHR 9.05 [3.37-24.29]), CD4 ≤ 50 (aHR 1.91 [1.08-3.39]), no TB prophylaxis (aHR 3.51 [1.83-6.74]), and WHO stage 3 or 4 (aHR 1.91 [1.12-3.27]). CONCLUSION: Despite advances in HIV programs, the mortality rate among patients with AHD highlights ongoing challenges. Early identification of AHD patients, regular viral load testing, optimizing ART and ensuring adherence, along with promoting tuberculosis preventive therapy, could help reduce mortality, improve patient outcomes, and achieve HIV epidemic control by 2030.