HIVPolicyWatch.org Tracks Dramatic HIV Policy Shift toward âTest and Treat”
(WASHINGTON, DC, July 17, 2015) – The International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC) today launched HIVPolicyWatch.org, a web portal that provides end users immediate access to published guidelines and recommendations containing HIV policies from 149 countries representing approximately 90% of the people living with HIV worldwide (2013 estimates).
The recently announced START trial confirms that earlier access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) irrespective of CD4 count is critical for an individual’s health. The science also supports earlier ART to prevent HIV transmission. The new web portal shows that at least 10 countries and two provinces are already embrace a “test and treat” approach for asymptomatic people living with HIV (PLHIV) irrespective of their CD4 counts. Other countries also embrace earlier ART initiation than the current 2013 World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines by recommending ART for those with a CD4 count >500 cells/mm3.
IAPAC technical staff worked with US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), US Agency for International Development (USAID), Mdecins Sans Frontires (MSF), UNAIDS, and WHO to build an HIV policy database that is critical to swiftly translating science to policy to meet global HIV treatment target (90-90-90). Please do take a look at the site and provide feedback-we would welcome any new HIV and TB policies so that we can update the site.