Antiretroviral therapy

HIV/AIDS is the greatest health crisis facing the world today. In two decades, the pandemic has claimed nearly 30 million lives. In the most severely affected regions, the impact of disease and death is undermining the economic, social and political gains of the past half-century and crushing hopes of a better future.

In the developing world, 6 million people infected with HIV need access to antiretroviral (ARV) therapy. Only 300 000 have such access.

To address the HIV/AIDS crisis, the World Health Organization, with the Joint United Nations Programme on AIDS (UNAIDS) and other partners, has committed itself to having 3 million people living with HIV/AIDS in developing countries on ARV treatment by the end of 2005.

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Fact sheets

News and press releases

02 December 2008
WHO on AIDS: "Time to lead, empower and deliver"
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29 November 2005
Halting HIV/AIDS needs bold responses
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17 November 2005
WHO calls for bolder steps to stop spread of HIV/AIDS
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Relevant publications and documents

HIV/AIDS Prevention and Care Newsletter - NEW!
This was formerly known as the Antiretroviral Newsletter. The aim of this biannual newsletter is to provide health workers in the Region with a brief, up-to-date summary of the latest developments in the management of HIV infection, including antiretroviral therapies and co-morbidities (or associated conditions).

HIV/AIDS Care and Treatment for People Who Inject Drugs in Asia and the Pacific - An Essential Practice Guide
This guide is based on the European guidelines developed by WHO/EURO followed by a consultative process. The initial working group was convened in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and a first draft for regional adaptation was completed in August 2006. An online consultative process was then established to finalize the document. The guide is based on the discussions with health care workers, researchers and programme managers from South-East Asia and the Western Pacific Regions and the experiences from scaling-up ART and harm reduction services. The guide is meant to be complementary to the global ART guidelines and are considering the need of physicians, programme planners, other health care workers, People Living with HIV, and drug users to have one simplified user-friendly reference guide for the national adaptation on management of HIV infection and antiretroviral therapy for IDUs.

Towards Universal Access by 2010: How WHO is working with countries to scale-up HIV prevention, treatment, care and support
This document describes the contribution that the World Health Organization (WHO) will make, as the United Nations agency responsible for health, in working towards universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support in the period 2006-2010. It proposes an evidence-based Model Essential Package of integrated health sector interventions for HIV/AIDS that WHO recommends be scaled up in countries, using a public health approach, and provides an overview of the strategic directions and priority intervention areas that will guide WHO's technical work and support to its Member States as they work towards universal access over the next four years.