The massive global expansion of access to HIV treatment has transformed not only the HIV epidemic but the entire public health landscape, demonstrating that the right to health can be realized even in the most trying of circumstances.
This publication reports on the progress being made in the global scale-up in the use of antiretroviral (ARV) medicines in low- and middle-income countries, the challenges that are being overcome or that await solutions and the opportunities for building on the achievements of the past decade.
Chapter 1 provides new data on the latest developments in the global treatment effort, highlighting positive trends as well as aspects that require improvement. It also discusses the key recommendations of the 2013 WHO Consolidated Guidelines on the Use of Antiretroviral Drugs for Treating and Preventing HIV Infection, which are designed to take advantage of the multiple benefits of antiretroviral therapy (ART) for treating and preventing HIV infection. Chapter 2 summarizes the impact of the scale-up in reducing AIDS-related mortality and new HIV infections.
Chapter 3 examines the sequence of steps in the continuum of care from HIV diagnosis to successful provision of ART servicesand outlines key supportive innovations. Finally, Chapter 4 discusses the implications and anticipated impact of the new 2013 WHO ARV guidelines