At baseline, compared to those who remained untreated, children who initiated HAART later had a greater degree of immunodeficiency (p<0.01) with a corresponding lower median CD4 percentage (p<0.01), had a more advanced HIV clinical stage (p<0.01), and were more likely to have at least one HIV-related symptom or condition (p<0.01). Here, CD4 is linked to immunodeficiency disease.