Case Definitions of HIV for Surveillance and Revised Clinical Staging and Immunological Classification of HIV Related Disease in Adults and Children

With a view to facilitating the scaling up of access to antiretroviral therapy, and in line with a public health approach, this publication outlines recent revisions WHO has made to case definitions for surveillance of HIV and the clinical and the immunological classification for HIV-related disease. HIV case definitions are defined and harmonized with the clinical staging and immunological classifications to facilitate improved HIV-related surveillance, to better track the incidence, prevalence and treatment burden of HIV infection and to plan appropriate public health responses. The revised clinical staging and immunological classification of HIV are designed to assist in clinically managing HIV, especially where there is limited laboratory capacity. The final revisions outlined here are derived from a series of regional consultations with Member States in all WHO regions held throughout 2004 and 2005, comments from public consultation and the deliberations of a global consensus meeting held in April 2006.