Barbados Government Makes Antiretroviral Therapy Universally Accessible

The Barbados Government is making antiretroviral therapy universally accessible to everybody who has been diagnosed with HIV, from the time they test positive for the virus.

Health Minister John Boyce made the disclosure yesterday as he announced that Barbados was adopting the “Treat All” recommendation by the World Health Organization (WHO) in September 2015 that all people living with HIV should start treatment as soon as possible after diagnosis.

According to the WHO, clinical trials showed that the early and expanded use of antiretroviral treatment saves lives by keeping people living with HIV healthier and reducing the risk that they will transmit the virus to partners.

Boyce said that Barbados has always adhered to clinical guidance from the WHO on when antiretroviral therapy should be initiated.

Initiation criteria was based on the CD4 count or level of immunity, he explained, and was 200 at the start of the local treatment programme, shifting to 350 in 2009, and 500 in 2013.

Following the latest WHO recommendation in September last year, the Ministry of Health adopted the “Treat All” approach in January this year, where all persons with HIV would be offered lifelong therapy, irrespective of their CD4 count.

The implementation of “Treat All” began among pregnant women in Barbados in March this year, and allowed all HIV-positive pregnant women to access lifelong treatment, not only to reduce the risk of HIV transmission to their children, but also for their own benefit and to reduce the likelihood of transmission.

The Health Minister said that this was followed by the full implementation of the “Treat All” approach at the Ladymeade Reference Unit (LRU) in October and, from yesterday, the programme was implemented island wide.

“Therefore, the initiation of antiretroviral therapy in Barbados is no longer dependent on the extent of progression of their HIV, but from the moment of diagnosis,” Boyce said.

Government is currently spending BDS$6 million (US$3 million) a year to provide medical care to persons living with HIV, and in this financial year, the Ministry of Finance has provided an additional BDS$500,000 (US$250,000) in recognition that “starting Treat All would be an investment which would reduce health costs in the long run,” Boyce said.

Read more: http://www.caribbean360.com/news/barbados-government-makes-antiretroviral-therapy-universally-accessible#ixzz4SA9TeBdj

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