Access to antiretroviral treatment in Brazil

Access to antiretroviral drugs in Brazil.

Since 1996, the Brazilian Ministry of Health has guaranteed free and universal access to antiretroviral treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS. Implementation of this policy has had political, financial, and logistical challenges. I have investigated the history and context of antiretroviral policy in Brazil, the logistics of the drugs' distribution, and the government's strategies for acqui...

Monitoring adherence to antiretroviral treatment in Brazil: an urgent challenge.

The aim of this study was to describe the effect of non-adherence on the main laboratory outcomes, TCD4+ lymphocyte count and viral load, routinely used to monitor patients initiating treatment according to three different approaches to measure adherence to antiretroviral therapy. Among 288 participants, 22.9%, 31.9% and 74.3% were considered non-adherent, according to medical charts, self-repo...

Financing equitable access to antiretroviral treatment in South Africa

BACKGROUND While South Africa spends approximately 7.4% of GDP on healthcare, only 43% of these funds are spent in the public system, which is tasked with the provision of care to the majority of the population including a large proportion of those in need of antiretroviral treatment (ART). South Africa is currently debating the introduction of a National Health Insurance (NHI) system. Because ...

Evolution of Antiretroviral Drug Costs in Brazil in the Context of Free and Universal Access to AIDS Treatment

BACKGROUND Little is known about the long-term drug costs associated with treating AIDS in developing countries. Brazil's AIDS treatment program has been cited widely as the developing world's largest and most successful AIDS treatment program. The program guarantees free access to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) for all people living with HIV/AIDS in need of treatment. Brazil prod...

How should access to antiretroviral treatment be measured?