Epidemiology of the Hill Tribe HIV/AIDS Populations, Thailand

A retrospective cohort study was conducted to determine the situation and factors related to the death among the HIV/AIDS Hill tribe in Northern Thailand.

A systematic data-reviewing approach was used to identify the information from the rosters of ARV clinics, OPD cards, and laboratory reports from 16 hospitals in Chiang Rai Province, Thailand. The data were collected from the first reported HIV/AIDS case of the Hill tribe to the end of 2010. A logistic regression models were used to identify associations. A p-value <0.05 was considered as a statistical significance in multiple logistic regression models

Three thousand one hundred thirty cases were included in the present study. The majority of patients were Akha (46.0%) followed by Lahu (19.7%), 54.6% were males, 44.6% were 26 to 35 years old. The major risk factor of HIV infection was sexual intercourse (91.7%); 33.3% were still alive at the date of data collection, 30.7% were diagnosed with pulmonary TB. Regarding survival status, females had a better surviving rate than males with adjusted OR = 1.41, 95% CI = 1.19-1.66. Those that had the route of transmission as “mother-to-child” and “IDU” had greater chance of survival compared to those who contracted HIV from “sexual intercourse”, with adjusted OR = 2.05, 95% CI = 1.56-2.18, and adjusted OR = 8.45, 95% CI = 1.55-46.13, respectively.

Thailand needs to develop an appropriate model for providing care at the earlier stage of HIV/AIDS infection to prevent early death for the Hill tribe population.