Antiretroviral therapy in the private sector of Nairobi, Kenya: a review of the experience of five physicians

Abstract

Challenges to developing an adequate infrastructure and the capacity to manage large numbers of patients taking antiretroviral therapy are being addressed in Kenya, where an estimated 2.1 million people were living with HIV infection at the end of 1999 and approximately 700 individuals die from HIV disease daily [1,2]. The gross national product per capita was US$340 a year in 1997, making antiretroviral therapy out of reach for the vast majority of Kenyans. However, Kenya has a substantial working population, especially in Nairobi, which can afford antiretroviral drugs through the private sector. We conducted a standardized chart abstraction and structured interview of five physicians in private practice in Nairobi, considered among the best practitioners providing care for HIV-infected patients taking antiretroviral therapy.