Simplifying and adapting antiretroviral treatment in resource-poor settings: a necessary step to scaling-up.

Access to antiretroviral (ARV) therapy for patients in developing countries has become an increasing global public health and political concern in recent years. Both donor governments and those of high-burden countries agree that treating AIDS is a major priority. Efforts are underway in many countries to increase the numbers receiving ARV treatment and the level of international funds committed to assist this effort has increased significantly albeit insufficiently. In 2002 this led the World Health Organization (WHO) to launch an ambitious ‘335’ plan to place three million people on ARV by 2005. While numbers benefiting from ARV therapy in the developing world have increased over the last few years the need for scaling-up is as urgent as ever: over two-thirds of the six million people in the developing world who are in urgent need of ARV therapy live in sub-Saharan Africa but less than 2% of these have access to this treatment. It is estimated that around 6500 people are dying of AIDS each day in this region. (excerpt)

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