WHO Releases New Antiretroviral Therapy Guidelines For Early HIV Intervention After Detection Of Virus In Patients

by Czarelli Tuason / Oct 20, 2015 11:57 PM EDT

South Korean students pose in the shape of the 'aids ribbon' during an event to promote the awareness of Aids at Cheonggyecheon on December 1, 2013 in Seoul, South Korea.

On Sept. 30, the World Health Organization (WHO) introduced new guidelines for the use of antiretroviral (ARV) medicines for individuals affected with the HIV in order to facilitate early intervention, reported The Herald on Thursday.

The "Guidelines on When To Start ART and PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) for HIV" requires an individual to begin the antiretroviral therapy upon being tested positive on HIV without the need to consider their CD4 cell count. It also encourages countries to use the HIV treatment as first-line prevention for individuals who are at high risk for contracting the virus.

ARVs were previously given to HIV patients who have their CD4 cell count below 500 and to vulnerable patients, including pregnant women, those with tuberculosis, children below five-years-old and discordant couples regardless of CD4 count.

The new guidelines were made based on evidence that the first line antiretroviral drug commonly used in most countries, called tenofovir, is effective in preventing HIV infection from an infected individual if taken prior to exposure.

According to New York City News on Wednesday, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) has already accepted the new ARV guidelines from WHO. To the organization, it is a critical step towards enhancing the lives of HIV patients and preventing the virus from being transmitted.

"The medicines and scientific tools now at our disposal provide us with a real opportunity to save millions of lives over the coming years and to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030," said UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé.

"These new guidelines and recommendations are a highly significant moment in the AIDS response," Sidibé added.

The latest amendment is part of WHO's updated 2016 guidelines on the use of antiretroviral drugs for treating and preventing HIV infection, which will be unveiled at the International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA) on December in Zimbabwe.

"The full update of the guidelines will consist of comprehensive clinical recommendations together with revised operational and service delivery guidance to support the implementation," noted WHO.