New guidelines from World Health Organization (WHO) on when to start taking antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV could avert an additional 3 million deaths and prevent 3.5 million new infections between now and 2025.
WHO’s new consolidated guidance on early treatment is based on a thorough review of the latest scientific evidence, country experience and close consultation with HIV/AIDS programme managers and policy makers, scientists, clinicians, and civil society. The publication contains detailed clinical and programmatic recommendations.
Such prospects – unthinkable just a few years ago – can now fuel the momentum needed to push the HIV epidemic into irreversible decline. The changes, if fully implemented, should result in significant impact on the epidemic, beyond the 2015 Millennium Development Goals, and beyond the 15 million treatment target set for 2015