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Antiretroviral therapy

Antiretroviral therapy

Standard antiretroviral therapy (ART) consists of the use of at least three antiretroviral (ARV) drugs to maximally suppress the HIV virus and stop the progression of HIV disease. Huge reductions have been seen in rates of death and suffering when use is made of a potent ARV regimen.

About 33 million people are now living with HIV, of whom more than 30 million live in low- and middle-income countries. WHO estimates that at least 9.7 million of these people are in need of ART. As of the end of 2008, 4 million people had access to ART in low- and middle-income countries.

WHO is providing countries with ongoing guidance, tools and support in delivering and scaling up ART within a public health approach.

Latest updates

ART guideline revisions
WHO is currently revising the ART and ART to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV guidelines, and has released information on the revision process, including timelines, areas for review, relevant outcomes, and ideal recommendations.
ART guidelines revision process | MTCT guidelines revision process

Important: addendum to 2006 ART guidelines
Important: addendum to 2006 WHO guidelines on "Antiretroviral therapy for HIV infection in adults and adolescents". New dosage recommendations for Stavudine (d4T).
Download the addendum (English) [pdf 107kb] | (French) [pdf 28kb]

Antiretroviral therapy for HIV infection in adults and adolescents
WHO released a revised version of the guidelines on "Antiretroviral therapy for HIV infection in adults and adolescents" in August 2006.
Access the guidelines


technical documents
Guidelines and technical documents
More information

general information
Key information
More information

recommended readings
Antiretroviral therapy data and statistics
More information

Antiretroviral therapy meetings
Meetings
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Country and regional resources
Country and regional resources
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useful links
Related topics and useful links
More information



EVENTS
More information


Dispatch from the field: Katutura State Hospital, Windhoek, Namibia
Katutura State Hospital, Windhoek, Namibia


KEY PUBLICATIONS

Towards universal access: scaling up priority HIV/AIDS interventions in the health sector. Progress report, September 2009
Towards universal access
Scaling up priority HIV/AIDS interventions in the health sector
Progress report, September 2009

More information
English [pdf 3.10Mb]
French [pdf 439kb]

Priority interventions
HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care in the health sector
More information
English [pdf 1.39Mb]
French [pdf 1.66Mb]

Who we are
The HIV/AIDS Programme at WHO
English [pdf 220kb]
French [pdf 279kb]
Spanish [pdf 277kb]


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