News / Health
SADC adopts WHO guidelines on anti-retroviral (ARV) treatment
21 Oct 2014 at 09:05hrs | Views
The UNAIDS leadership says the 2013 World Health Organisation guidelines which require people with a CD4 count of 500 to go on anti-retroviral treatment are necessary even though they will create challenges for developing countries within the region.
The new guidelines require all countries to start giving treatment to people with a CD4 count of 500 but there are concerns that this will increase the cost of putting more people on ARV treatment.
UNAIDS country director Michael Bartos said the decision by WHO will help reduce the viral load on people living with HIV and AIDS, adding it will also require that countries in the region, including Zimbabwe, receive assistance from global partners.
"It is better for people to start the anti-retroviral treatment earlier. It is a question of shifting by two or three years and for a country like Zimbabwe more money will be needed to put people on treatment as rapidly as possible," he said.
National Aids Council monitoring and evaluation director Amon Mpofu said there is now a need to further mobilise people to get tested to ensure that they are put on anti-retroviral treatment at early stages.
"We need to mobilise people to get tested and then they can be screened for CD4 count. We should scale up our testing and are trying to educate people so that they are coming forth.
"It is difficult because it's not everyone who wants to come and get tested. People should have a culture of testing as long as they are sexually active," said Mpofu.
There were 724,299 people are on anti-retroviral treatment at the end of the second quarter this year compared to 1,273,188 who are in need of the service.
However, with the World Health Organisation 2013 guidelines, an additional 200 000 people will need to be put on anti retroviral treatment.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe has taken over the chairmanship of the SADC National AIDS Authorities with some countries already in the process of implementing lessons learnt from the local interventions.
The country takes over the chairman ship at a time the number of people on anti-retroviral treatment is set to increase following WHO 2013 guidelines which stipulate that people with a CD4 count of 500 be on treatment.
Speaking soon after the closing ceremony of the 10th forum of the SADC Directors of National AIDS Councils in Victoria Falls, NAC chief executive officer, Dr Tapuwa Magure said the biggest priority is to ensure the adoption of combination prevention strategies such as voluntary male circumcision, distribution of condoms, prevention of mother-to-child transmission and social behaviour change to combat the spread of HIV.
"There are now more people who require more treatment due to the new cut off point of a CD4 count of 500. Because there amore people who require more," he said.
Swaziland National SADC Commission chief executive officer Khanya Mabuza said his country has adopted the Zimbabwe`s Global Fund co-ordinating mechanism as well as the management of the funds.
The region is already discussing various strategies of raising funds such as tax from tobacco sales and mobile phone calls among others.
At least 70% of people living with HIV worldwide are in the SADC region.
The new guidelines require all countries to start giving treatment to people with a CD4 count of 500 but there are concerns that this will increase the cost of putting more people on ARV treatment.
UNAIDS country director Michael Bartos said the decision by WHO will help reduce the viral load on people living with HIV and AIDS, adding it will also require that countries in the region, including Zimbabwe, receive assistance from global partners.
"It is better for people to start the anti-retroviral treatment earlier. It is a question of shifting by two or three years and for a country like Zimbabwe more money will be needed to put people on treatment as rapidly as possible," he said.
National Aids Council monitoring and evaluation director Amon Mpofu said there is now a need to further mobilise people to get tested to ensure that they are put on anti-retroviral treatment at early stages.
"We need to mobilise people to get tested and then they can be screened for CD4 count. We should scale up our testing and are trying to educate people so that they are coming forth.
"It is difficult because it's not everyone who wants to come and get tested. People should have a culture of testing as long as they are sexually active," said Mpofu.
There were 724,299 people are on anti-retroviral treatment at the end of the second quarter this year compared to 1,273,188 who are in need of the service.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe has taken over the chairmanship of the SADC National AIDS Authorities with some countries already in the process of implementing lessons learnt from the local interventions.
The country takes over the chairman ship at a time the number of people on anti-retroviral treatment is set to increase following WHO 2013 guidelines which stipulate that people with a CD4 count of 500 be on treatment.
Speaking soon after the closing ceremony of the 10th forum of the SADC Directors of National AIDS Councils in Victoria Falls, NAC chief executive officer, Dr Tapuwa Magure said the biggest priority is to ensure the adoption of combination prevention strategies such as voluntary male circumcision, distribution of condoms, prevention of mother-to-child transmission and social behaviour change to combat the spread of HIV.
"There are now more people who require more treatment due to the new cut off point of a CD4 count of 500. Because there amore people who require more," he said.
Swaziland National SADC Commission chief executive officer Khanya Mabuza said his country has adopted the Zimbabwe`s Global Fund co-ordinating mechanism as well as the management of the funds.
The region is already discussing various strategies of raising funds such as tax from tobacco sales and mobile phone calls among others.
At least 70% of people living with HIV worldwide are in the SADC region.
Source - zbc
