Search

Introduction On 1 December 2003, WHO in partnership with UNAIDS launched the '3 by 5' initiative, which aimed to mobilize the world to provide antiretroviral therapy (ART) to 3 million [...], This paper reviews the data sources and methods used to estimate the number of people on, and coverage of, antiretroviral therapy (ART) programmes in low- and middle-income countries and to monitor the progress towards the '3 by 5' target set by WHO and UNAIDS. We include a review of the data sources used to estimate the coverage of ART programmes as well as the efforts made to avoid double counting and over-reporting. The methods used to estimate the number of people in need of ART are described and expanded with estimates of treatment needs for children, both for ART and for cotrimoxazole prophylaxis. An estimated 6.5 million people were in need of treatment in low- and middle-income countries by the end of 2004, including 660 000 children under age 15 years. The mid-2005 estimate of 970 000 people receiving ART in low- and middle-income countries (with an uncertainty range 840 000-1 100 000) corresponds to a coverage of 15% of people in need of treatment. Keywords Antiretroviral therapy, Highly active; HIV infections/epidemiology/drug therapy; Data collection/methods; Needs assessment; Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole combination; Developing countries (source: MeSH, NLM). Mots cles Therapie antiretrovirale hautement active; Infection a VIH/epidemiologie/chimiotherapie; Collecte donnees/methodes; Evaluation besoins; Trimethoprime-sulfamethoxazole, Association; Pays en developpement (source: MeSH, INSERM). Palabras clave Terapia antirretroviral altamente activa; Infecciones por VIH/epidemiotogia/quimioterapia; Recoleccion de datos/ metodos; Evaluacion de necesidades; Combinacion trimetoprim-sulfametoxazol; Paises en desarrollo (fuente: DeCS, BIREME). [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII.]

'Recently, the medical director of one of the bigger HMOs in my area came to visit--I was ordering too many imaging studies. I pulled a number of cases in preparation [...]

This year's report of the Learning Disability Taskforce (LDP 7, 2, 4) highlights both achievements and areas where development is still required. The list of 'good things' that have happened [...]