Expanding Access to Antiretroviral Therapy in Sub-Saharan Africa

Millions of dollars being directed to HIV/AIDS and Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) in sub-Saharan Africa, and the World Health Organisation has tried to put 3 million people in developing countries on ART by the end of 2005. In this context, this 5 page publication describes a number of pitfalls and opportunities that the authors believe may occur with the push to rapidly expand access to antiretroviral therapy in sub-Saharan Africa The pitfalls include undesirable opportunity costs, the fragmentation of health systems, worsening inequality in health care, and poor and unsustained treatment outcomes.

In terms of capitalising on opportunities, the publication posits that AIDS “treatment activism” provides an opportunity to catalyse comprehensive health systems development and reduce health care inequities.

According to the writers, the plans to expand access to ART are therefore bold and ambitious and are a testament to a campaign that has challenged the indifference of governments and societies to people living with AIDS and the “profiteering” of pharmaceutical companies. Just as important, the campaign around treatment access has helped motivate health workers and mobilise civil society in Africa around a struggle for health.