| Summary: | Includes bibliographical references. === [Introduction] The first patients started on antiretroviral therapy (ART) in the Western Cape Province public health service began treatment as early as January 2001. These patients were funded jointly by non-government sources, such as the Desmond Tutu Foundation (DTF) and Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), and the state, on account of the then limited availability of government funding for ART. The government funded rollout of ART in South Africa began in April 2004. Concerns about poor adherence and viral resistance led to a nationwide emphasis on the development of a good monitoring system for ART. The Provincial Government of the Western Cape (PGWC) has, in conjunction with the World Health Organization (WHO). developed a monitoring system to provide quarterly outcome data for patients on ART. [Aims and Objectives] This study aims to describe and describe and analyse routine data produced on defined clinical and immunological outcomes of patients on ART by the monitoring system, thus assessing the feasibility of an ART programme in the public health sector in the Western Cape Province. [Methods] This study reviewed patient information captured in both the paper based monitoring system and electronic databases. Data on all patients started on ART since January 2001 until June 2005 was included in the study. The monitoring system, developed by the WHO, uses paper-based ART registers at clinics to capture relevant patient information. All patients less than 15 years of age were classified as chitdren. The baseline data recorded in the monitoring system is limited to the percentage of children with a baseline CD4 percentage < 15% and the percentage of children who were treatment-experienced.
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