A Guide to Antiretroviral Therapy

Sri Lanka remains as a very low prevalent country for HIV since the first Sri Lankan was diagnosed with HIV in 1987. Current estimate (2015) for people living with HIV (PLHIV) is 4200 including estimated 100 children. By end 2015, a cumulative total of 2309 HIV positive persons were reported to National STD/AIDS Control Programme (NSACP) with a continued upward trend over years.

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) for prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) was introduced and available free of charge for pregnant mothers diagnosed with HIV in Sri Lanka in 2002. All diagnosed PLHIV were linked to care at NSACP HIV clinics and ART was available and provided free of charge from 2004. At present, HIV care services are available in all provinces of Sri Lanka under direct supervision of consultant venereologists. Eligibility criteria for ART were changed over years and at present the country adhere to “Test and Treat” policy where everyone diagnosed with HIV are eligible for treatment irrespective of CD4 count, viral load or HIV clinical stage.