Progress report on global access to HIV antiretroviral therapy: an update on ‘3 by 5’

Antiretroviral target will not be reached

This report by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNAIDS provides an update on the progress of the global 3 by 5 treatment initiative. The report documents substantial progress, in particular in sub-Saharan Africa where 500,000 people living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA) are now receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART), which is a three-fold increase in the last 12 months. However, the report also acknowledges that while there are 1 million PLWHA now on ART, the milestone of 1.6 million will not be met by the end of June 2005. Moreover, it is unlikely that the ultimate goal of providing ART for 3 million people will be met by the end of 2005.

The report makes a number of recommendations for increasing the pace of ART scale-up in developing countries. It calls for political commitment from countries to develop concrete national treatment programmes and to implement them quickly. It recommends standardised drug regimens and clinical procedures, and identifies a need to increase country capacity in terms of drug procurement and supply chain management and in terms of human resources. Other recommendations include: establishing sustainable financing from international donors as well as from country resources; and linking treatment and prevention. [adapted from authors]

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Progress report on global access to HIV antiretroviral therapy: an update on ‘3 by 5’