Our study was purely observational with recruitment only of those patients who initiated HAART. These patients can afford therapy and tend to be of middle to higher socioeconomic status and also more literate. However, more than half of these patients also came from rural areas indicating that such patients are capable of adhering optimally to the regimens using FDCs.

Thus we conclude that NVP-based HAART, delivered as FDC formulations, is safe and showed durable clinical and immunologic benefit amongst ARV-naïve HIV-infected patients in this study in India. The regimens were convenient to take and thus easy to adhere to, potent, well-tolerated and also reserved future treatment options in case of drug failure. Hence NVP-based HAART can be positioned as a good first-line regimen in programmes intended to deliver ARV therapy in resource-limited settings.