September 13, 2011

UN: $6B More Annually to Treat HIV Per WHO Guidelines

Providing antiretrovirals (ARVs) to all people with HIV worldwide who qualify for the meds would cost an additional $6 billion annually, bringing the yearly total to at least $22 billion, according to the United Nations and reported by Bloomberg News. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that HIV-positive people begin taking ARVs when their CD4 counts drop to 350 or below. About 34 million people have HIV globally. Only about 6 million people currently receive ARVs, but 15 million qualify for them under WHO guidelines. World leaders recently committed to the proposed increase: to boost funding from $16 billion a year to at least $22 billion a year by 2015. This would expand treatment to all 15 million people. But in today’s economic climate, it remains to be seen whether the money and meds will materialize.

To read the Bloomberg News article, click here.

Search: United Nations, New York, antiretrovirals, ARV, World Health Organization, WHO

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