HIV antiretroviral therapy in resource-limited settings: experiences from Haiti

Abstract

An unprecedented international effort to expand high activity antiretroviral therapy (HAART) to resource-poor nations has been launched. The World Health Organization (WHO) has created antiretroviral (ARV) treatment guidelines adapted to resource-poor settings. The first-line regimen is two nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NsRTIs) and one nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI). Therapy is initiated by clinical staging and CD4 T-cell counts when available. Adherence is the responsibility of health care workers. The use of ARV therapy in resource-poor settings faces several challenges, including the poverty of patients, political and social upheavals and violence, social stigma associated with HIV/AIDS, unreliable pharmacy systems, tuberculosis, and lack of trained health care workers. Using our experience in Haiti, we describe how we have addressed these challenges with the goal of increasing access to care for the poor with HIV/AIDS.