Determinants of survival time for HIV/AIDS patients in the pastoralist region of Borena: a study at Yabelo General Hospital, South East Ethiopia.

Introduction: HIV/AIDS is one of the most dangerous diseases globally, impacting public health, economics, society, political issues, and communities. As of 2023, the World Health Organization estimates that 40.4 million people are living with HIV/AIDS. This study aimed to identify the determinants of survival time for HIV/AIDS patients in the pastoralist region of Borena at Yabelo General Hospital.

Method: The study design was a retrospective cohort study, with a sample size of 293 individuals living with HIV/AIDS, based on recorded data. This research utilized survival model analysis, employing Kaplan-Meier plots, the log-rank test, and Cox proportional hazard model analysis.

Result: Out of the total sample size, 179 (61.1%) were female and 114 (38.1%) were male. Among these males, 36 (31.6%) were deceased. The analysis using the Cox proportional hazard model revealed that the following variables were significantly associated with the survival time of HIV/AIDS patients: gender, educational status, area of residence, tuberculosis (TB), and opportunistic infections.

Conclusions: We concluded that individuals living with HIV/AIDS in urban areas have a lower risk of death compared to those in rural areas, indicating that rural residents have a reduced survival probability. Therefore, the Borena zone administration should focus on adult patients to enhance life expectancy.