title: Monitoring antiretroviral therapy in resource-limited settings: balancing clinical care, technology, and human resources.
abstract: Due to the rapid expansion of first-line antiretroviral therapy in resource-limited settings (RLS), increasing numbers of people are living with HIV for prolonged periods of time. Treatment programs must now decide how to balance monitoring costs necessary to maximize health benefits for those already on treatment with the continued demand to initiate more patients on first-line treatment. We review currently available evidence related to monitoring strategies in RLS and discuss their implications on timing of switching to second-line treatment, development of HIV resistance, and clinical outcome.
authors.affiliation: University of North Carolina Project, Kamuzu Central Hospital, 100 Mzimba Road, Private Bag A/104, Lilongwe, Malawi. Mina_hosseinipour@med.unc.edu
authors.forename: Mina C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Hosseinipour
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schechter
mesh_terms: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003906:Developing Countries; D016903:Drug Monitoring / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D024882:Drug Resistance, Viral; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D017211:Treatment Failure; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents