title: HIV treatment and care in resource-constrained environments: challenges for the next decade.
abstract: Many successes have been achieved in HIV care in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC): increased number of HIV-infected individuals receiving antiretroviral treatment (ART), wide decentralization, reduction in morbidity and mortality and accessibility to cheapest drugs. However, these successes should not hide existing failures and difficulties. In this paper, we underline several key challenges. First, ensure long-term financing, increase available resources, in order to meet the increasing needs, and redistribute the overall budget in a concerted way amongst donors. Second, increase ART coverage and treat the many eligible patients who have not yet started ART. Competition amongst countries is expected to become a strong driving force in encouraging the least efficient to join better performing countries. Third, decrease early mortality on ART, by improving access to prevention, case-finding and treatment of tuberculosis and invasive bacterial diseases and by getting people to start ART much earlier. Fourth, move on from WHO 2006 to WHO 2010 guidelines. Raising the cut-off point for starting ART to 350 CD4/mm(3) needs changing paradigm, adopting opt-out approach, facilitating pro-active testing, facilitating task shifting and increasing staff recruitments. Phasing out stavudine needs acting for a drastic reduction in the costs of other drugs. Scaling up routine viral load needs a mobilization for lower prices of reagents and equipments, as well as efforts in relation to point-of-care automation and to maintenance. The latter is a key step to boost the utilization of second-line regimens, which are currently dramatically under prescribed. Finally, other challenges are to reduce lost-to-follow-up rates; manage lifelong treatment and care for long-term morbidity, including drug toxicity, residual AIDS and HIV-non-AIDS morbidity and aging-related morbidity; and be able to face unforeseen events such as socio-political and military crisis. An old African proverb states that the growth of a deep-rooted tree cannot be stopped. Our tree is well rooted in existing field experience and is, therefore, expected to grow. In order for us to let it grow, long-term cost-effectiveness approach and life-saving evidence-based programming should replace short-term budgeting approach.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases and Dermatology, Unit of Training and Research in Medical Sciences, University of Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. speholie@afnet.net
authors.forename: Serge-Paul
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Eholié
authors.forename: François Eba
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Aoussi
authors.forename: Ismael Songda
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Ouattara
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bissagnéné
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Anglaret
mesh_terms: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000191:economics; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D003906:Developing Countries; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006291:Health Policy; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D019562:Viral Load; D014944:World Health Organization
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents