Prevalence and patterns of comorbidities in adult HIV-related admissions in a public regional hospital in KwaZulu-Natal

Abstract

South Africa has the largest burden of HIV in the world with 7.9 million people living with HIV and 4.4 million registered on antiretroviral therapy (ART) in 2017. KwaZulu-Natal is hardest hit by the HIV epidemic with a prevalence of 27% among adults aged 15 to 49 years old. With the widespread ART uptake, the spectrum of HIV related admissions in hospitals has changed over the last decade. Hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and renal failure have become significant reasons for inpatient care. Increased life expectancy, rising non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and easier access to ART have played a significant change in the landscape of inpatients as compared to the pre-ART era. To provide integrated healthcare to the patient, it is necessary to understand the prevalence and patterns of HIV comorbidities for efficient and effective service delivery to HIV patients at facility-level.