The provision of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in sub-Saharan Africa has influenced the clinical and public health environments in profound ways. While the individual-level effects of ART are well known, the impact of ART on HIV epidemic dynamics remains poorly understood. Although reduced infectivity of people on ART should lower HIV incidence, this could be counterbalanced by the longer duration of exposure due to the increased survival of people on ART. Our overall aim is to develop a scientifically rigorous mathematical model linked to unique field-based data from KwaZulu/Natal, South Africa, to determine optimal HIV treatment and prevention strategies in diverse social environments. We propose to use mathematical models, a rich and unique South African dataset and primary data collection to study the impact of ART on HIV epidemic dynamics including HIV prevalence and incidence, life expectancy, mortality and incidence of AIDS. The STDSIM model, initially developed to better understand the contrasting results of the Mwanza and Rakai sexually transmitted disease intervention trials, will be extended to include important aspects of HIV transmission, antiretroviral therapy, social environments and cost-effectiveness analysis. Our main partner site, the Africa Centre for Health and Population Studies (AC) in KwaZulu/Natal, South Africa has conducted population-based demographic surveillance on over 90,000 people in 11,000 households since 2000;since 2003 HIV sero-prevalence data have been collected. Detailed demographic, economic, geographic, behavioral and biological data are collected and updated twice a year. In addition, the AC, in partnership with the South African Department of Health runs an ART treatment program with over 2500 people on treatment and 5000 people in care, awaiting treatment. This rich and unique dataset is available for analysis and will feed into the development of the mathematical model. In addition, economic data will be collected on the costs of HIV treatment and voluntary counseling and testing services to perform cost-effectiveness analyses.

Public Health Relevance

To better understand the impact of antiretroviral therapy (ART) on HIV epidemic dynamics, we will develop a mathematical model using primary data collection and secondary analysis of a unique set of biological, behavioral, economic, geographical and clinical characteristics of a population in KwaZulu/Natal, South Africa.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01MH083539-03
Application #
8097339
Study Section
Behavioral and Social Consequences of HIV/AIDS Study Section (BSCH)
Program Officer
Grossman, Cynthia I
Project Start
2009-07-01
Project End
2013-06-30
Budget Start
2011-07-01
Budget End
2012-06-30
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
2011
Total Cost
$497,727
Indirect Cost
Name
Brown University
Department
Public Health & Prev Medicine
Type
Schools of Public Health
DUNS #
001785542
City
Providence
State
RI
Country
United States
Zip Code
02912
Bor, Jacob; Chiu, Calvin; Ahmed, Shahira et al. (2018) Failure to initiate HIV treatment in patients with high CD4 counts: evidence from demographic surveillance in rural South Africa. Trop Med Int Health 23:206-220
Chimbindi, Natsayi; Bor, Jacob; Newell, Marie-Louise et al. (2015) Time and Money: The True Costs of Health Care Utilization for Patients Receiving ""Free"" HIV/Tuberculosis Care and Treatment in Rural KwaZulu-Natal. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 70:e52-60
Bor, Jacob; Rosen, Sydney; Chimbindi, Natsayi et al. (2015) Mass HIV Treatment and Sex Disparities in Life Expectancy: Demographic Surveillance in Rural South Africa. PLoS Med 12:e1001905; discussion e1001905
Escudero, Daniel J; Kerr, Thomas; Wood, Evan et al. (2015) Acceptability of HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PREP) Among People Who Inject Drugs (PWID) in a Canadian Setting. AIDS Behav 19:752-7
Lurie, Mark N; Kirwa, Kipruto; Daniels, Johann et al. (2014) High burden of STIs among HIV-infected adults prior to initiation of ART in South Africa: a retrospective cohort study. Sex Transm Infect 90:615-9
Maughan-Brown, Brendan; Kenyon, Chris; Lurie, Mark N (2014) Partner age differences and concurrency in South Africa: Implications for HIV-infection risk among young women. AIDS Behav 18:2469-76
Escudero, Daniel J; Lurie, Mark N; Kerr, Thomas et al. (2014) HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis for people who inject drugs: a review of current results and an agenda for future research. J Int AIDS Soc 17:18899
Lurie, Mark N; Williams, Brian G (2014) Migration and Health in Southern Africa: 100 years and still circulating. Health Psychol Behav Med 2:34-40
Ettenger, Allison; Bärnighausen, Till; Castro, Arachu (2014) Health insurance for the poor decreases access to HIV testing in antenatal care: evidence of an unintended effect of health insurance reform in Colombia. Health Policy Plan 29:352-8
Bor, Jacob; Moscoe, Ellen; Mutevedzi, Portia et al. (2014) Regression discontinuity designs in epidemiology: causal inference without randomized trials. Epidemiology 25:729-37

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