South African sex workers may have one of the world’s highest HIV prevalence rates and addressing this is just one of six ways South African National AIDS Council (SANAC) CEO Dr Fareed Abdullah says the country can fix its HIV response.
In January, South Africa will move to start HIV treatment earlier at a CD4 count of 500. CD4 counts are a measure of the immune system’s strength.
Under these new guidelines, the country will have to double those on antiretroviral (ARV) treatment to reach the World Health Organisation (WHO) “universal access” target of 90 percent of eligible patients on treatment.
At the close of the recent Southern Africa HIV Clinicians Conference, Abdullah spoke to Health-e News about the five ways he thinks the country can bolster its HIV response.