South African medical journal = Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir geneeskunde
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Comparative Study
Antiretroviral treatment uptake in patients with HIV-associated TB attending co-located TB and ART services.
Delivery of integrated care for patients with HIV-associated TB is challenging. We assessed the uptake and timing of antiretroviral treatment (ART) among eligible patients attending a primary care service with co-located ART and TB clinics. ⋯ In a setting with co-located TB and ART clinics, delays to starting ART were substantial, and one-fifth of eligible patients did not start ART during TB treatment. Co-location of services alone is insufficient to permit timely initiation of ART; further measures need to be implemented to facilitate integrated treatment.
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The coloured population has the second-highest prevalence of diabetes in South Africa. However, the data were based on a study conducted almost 20 years ago in a peri-urban coloured population of the Western Cape. We aimed to determine the prevalence of diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome in an urban coloured population in South Africa. ⋯ The prevalence of diabetes has increased hugely in the coloured community, and the high prevalence of undiagnosed diabetes portends that cardiovascular diseases might grow to epidemic proportions in the near future in South Africa.