WHO consultation on the strategic use of antiretrovirals for treatment and prevention of HIV
Executive summary
Overview
The use of antiretrovirals (ARVs) for treatment and for prevention of HIV is a dynamic and rapidly evolving field. Since the release of the 2010 World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for antiretroviral therapy (ART) for treating adults and children and the prevention-of-mother to child transmission (PMTCT), important new evidence has emerged demonstrating the benefit of earlier initiation of ART for the HIV-positive individual to prevent onward transmission to their HIV-negative partner and oral as well as topical antiretroviral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for the HIV-negative individual to prevent HIV acquisition. Against this background, WHO convened a 3-day expert consultation on 14-16 November 2011 to help inform the process of translating the latest evidence into new guidance.