In Sub-Saharan Africa, there is limited information available about patients on Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) for a long term period, with the longest follow up and related outcomes being after 10 years on ART. The IDI set up a cohort of 1,000 patients already on ART for 10 years at the time of enrollment, who will be followed up for an additional 10 years. This study will provide a rich range of clinical information and generate high quality data.

The cohort also provides a research platform for a wide range of sub-studies including the evaluation of the risk for cardiovascular diseases, the assessment of bone mineral density, screen for liver cirrhosis using fibro-scan technology, and investigation of drug-drug interactions between ART and common drugs used for non-communicable diseases.