February 2002 Insights Health Issue #2

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Sites for sore eyes

The WHO's Department of HIV/AIDS (www.who.int/HIV_AIDS/first.html) is a good starting place for information on antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) in resource-poor settings. 'The report of the WHO international consultative meeting on HIV/AIDS antiretroviral therapy' is online at www.who.int/HIV_AIDS/May%202001%20ARV%20Meeting%20Report.htm, and nine guidance modules on ARV treatment can be found at www.who.int/HIV_AIDS/antiretroviral_modules/indexar.htm.

The World Bank's AIDS Economics site (www.worldbank.org/aids-econ/index.htm) is a central resource on the economics of providing HIV treatment. ARVs form a special focus area, which provides background material, articles, and presentations (www.worldbank.org/aids-econ/arv/index.htm). The related International AIDS Economics Network website (www.iaen.org/index.php) features on-line conferences, materials, newsletters and toolkits.

Information on basic care packages required for successful treatment programmes is available in a report on the appropriate use of ARVS from the Centre for Disease Control's Global AIDS Programme (www.cdc.gov/nchstp/od/gap/strategies/4_4_antiretrovirals.htm). Another key resource is the WHO's report on 'Safe and effective use of antiretroviral treatments in adults with particular reference to resource limited settings' (www.who.int/HIV_AIDS/WHO_HSI_2000.04_1.04/index.htm).

Specific resources on voluntary counselling and testing include the 'Voluntary HIV counselling and testing efficacy study' at The University of California San Francisco's Center for AIDS Prevention Studies (www.caps.ucsf.edu/projects/c&tindex.html) and the WHO report: 'Voluntary counselling and testing for HIV infection in antenatal care' (www.who.int/HIV_AIDS/knowledge/implvct3.html).

For information on TB and HIV, check out the Stop TB Partnership website (www.stoptb.org). Here you will find guidelines on TB control in high HIV prevalence populations (www.stoptb.org/Working_Groups/TBHIV/draft100701.htm) and other useful resources and links (www.stoptb.org/Working_Groups/TBHIV/default.asp).

Finally, a good source on practical examples in the field is UNAIDS 'Best Practice' site which highlights experiences from countries around the world that are using effective approaches to AIDS prevention and treatment - www.unaids.org/bestpractice/index.html. Family Health International's magazine Impact on HIV (www.fhi.org/en/aids/impact/impactmg.html) also covers issues around ARVS in resource-poor settings, including case studies and country reports.

Sarah Wolf
International Health Exchange
134 Lower Marsh
London SE1 7AE
UK

www.ihe.org.uk

T: +44 (0)20 7620 3333
F: +44 (0)20 7620 2277

info@ihe.org.uk

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