Interviews conducted in South Africa found that awareness of antiretroviral therapy was generally poor. Antiretroviral drugs were not perceived as new, but one of many alternative therapies for HIV/AIDS. Respondents had more detailed knowledge of indications, effects and how to access alternative treatments, which is bolstered by the active promotion and legitimization of alternative treatments...

OBJECTIVE To analyze the evolution of the Ministry of Health's spending on drugs. METHODS The Ministry of Health's total (added) spending on drugs and its (not added) programs' were analyzed between 2002 and 2007. Actions that financed drug acquisition were obtained from the Siga Brasil system and classified according to pharmaceutical service programs. Settled values were identified for each...

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) remains a global health problem. While combined antiretroviral therapy has been successful in controlling the virus in patients, HIV can develop resistance to drugs used for treatment, rendering available drugs less effective and limiting treatment options. Initiatives to find novel drugs for HIV treatment are ongoing, although traditional drug design approach...

BACKGROUND Access to pediatric antiretroviral formulations is increasing in resource-limited countries, however adult FDCs are still commonly used by antiretroviral therapy (ART) programs. OBJECTIVE To describe long-term effectiveness of using adult FDC of d4T+3TC+NVP (Triomune) in children for HIV treatment. METHODS Clinical, immunologic, and virologic outcomes of HIV-infected ART-naïve ch...