The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended that HIV/AIDS patients begin treatment earlier, and the suggestion could save three million lives.
Recent studies have concluded earlier antiretroviral therapy could prevent 3.5 million people from contracting the virus and keep millions who already have the disease alive by 2025, according to a WHO press release.
The new guidelines are published in the "Consolidated guidelines on the use of antiretroviral drugs for treating and preventing HIV infection."
"These guidelines represent another leap ahead in a trend of ever-higher goals and ever-greater achievements," said WHO Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan. "With nearly 10 million people now on antiretroviral therapy, we see that such prospects - unthinkable just a few years ago - can now fuel the momentum needed to push the HIV epidemic into irreversible decline."
The new standards asks health care providers in all countries to begin treatment when a patient's CD4 cell count falls to 350 cells /mm or less, the 2010 guidelines didn't prescribe treatment until the cell count had fallen to 500 cells/mm ³. Some countries such as Algeria, Argentina, and Brazil, have already adopted the new recommendations.
The guidelines also ask that patients who are in a relationship in which one partner is not infected receive treatment regardless of their CD4 cell count. The same goes for all children under five, pregnant and breastfeeding women.
"Advances like these allow children and pregnant women to access treatment earlier and more safely, and move us closer to our goal of an AIDS-free generation," said UNICEF Executive Director, Anthony Lake. "Now, we must accelerate our efforts, investing in innovations that allow us to test new born babies faster and giving them the appropriate treatment so that they enjoy the best possible start in life."
There are still some unresolved issues. The numbers of children receiving ART increased by 10 percent, but adult treatments have increased twice as much, WHO believes this is too slow.
Another problem at hand is that infected populations such as people who " inject drugs, men who have sex with men, transgender people and sex workers," have trouble getting treatment.
"Today nearly 10 million people have access to lifesaving treatment. This is a true development triumph," said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). "But we now have a new challenge - ensuring that all 26 million people eligible for treatment have access - not one person less. Any new HIV infection or AIDS-related death due to lack of access to antiretroviral therapy is unacceptable."
