By univariate analyses, older age (COR = 2.07, 95% CI 1.40–3.07), male sex (COR = 2.57, 95% CI 1.69–3.75), WHO clinical stage III/IV (COR = 1.88, 95% CI 1.18–3.02), baseline CD4+ cell counts < 200 cells/mm3 (COR = 4.43, 95% CI 2.73–7.18) and 200–350 cells/mm3 (COR = 2.42, 95% CI 1.49–3.94), and presence of tuberculosis (COR = 1.34, 95% CI 1.05–1.71) were associated with poor CD4+ cell count recovery to >500 cells/mm3. Here, CD4 is linked to tuberculosis.