Guidelines for HIV Diagnosis and Monitoring of Antiretroviral Therapy

HIV/AIDS is among the greatest health crisis ever faced by humanity. Already this pandemic has killed 20 million people. Today, 40 million people are living with HIV. Each year, 3 million are dying of HIV/AIDS. However, most of these deaths could be prevented if they had access to antiretroviral therapy (ART).

In September 2003, WHO declared that failure to provide antiretroviral therapy to patients in developing countries a global public health emergency. Accordingly, WHO with UNAIDS and partners set a target of providing 3 million people in developing countries with antiretroviral treatment by the end of 2005 (the “3 by 5” initiative). While this is an interim target, long-term goal is of universal access to ART for all those who need it.

The primary objective of the antiretroviral therapy is to prolong the survival as well as improve the quality of life of the people living with HIV/AIDS. By bringing down the HIV viral load to sustained undetectable level, it is expected that ART will contribute also to HIV prevention.