Progress on Global Access to HIV Antiretroviral Therapy

The number of people receiving combination antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV/AIDS is increasing in every region of the world, tripling in the last 12 months in both sub-Saharan Africa and Asia – the two areas most affected by the disease. According to this newly released report by the WHO and UNAIDS, however, it is unlikely that the "3 by 5" goal of treating three million HIV-infected patients in developing countries by the end of 2005 will be accomplished. Because the target was based on what could be achieved if countries were fully successful in their political, financial, and technical efforts, the report implies that the prerequisites for a successful response are still not fully in place in some countries. To increase the pace of the ART scale-up in developing regions, the report recommends that countries implement a program based on political commitment, standardized approaches and increased capacity, technical support, sustainable financing, as well as treatment and prevention. The document also acknowledges that the experience gained in providing treatment to an initial one million people has laid the foundation toward achieving the larger goal of universal access to treatment by 2010. – YaleGlobal