DOH looking forward to new guidelines on ARV treatment

MANILA, Philippines - The World Health Organization (WHO) will issue next month the new guidelines on the use of anti-retroviral treatment (ARV) for HIV prevention.

The Department of Health (DOH) looks forward to the release of the guidelines as the number of HIV cases in the country continues to rise.

DOH Assistant Secretary Eric Tayag said the guidelines on the use of ARV for HIV prevention could help the Philippines curb the soaring HIV cases, which have reached 12,791 in March 2013.

“Before, ARV was being used only for treatment. But with the new guidelines, ARV will also be used both as treatment and prevention. We are looking forward to this,” Tayag said.

At present, ARV is being administered among people infected with HIV to slow down the progression of the illness into acquired immuno deficiency syndrome (AIDS).

But during the 19th International AIDS Conference in Washington  last July, WHO announced that a “more strategic use of ARV HIV medications can significantly reduce the transmission of the virus.”

The new guidelines is expected to contain clinical, operational and programmatic guidance on how countries should use ARV in treating people with HIV who have uninfected partners (serodiscordant couples).

The therapy will be offered to infected partners, regardless of the strength of their immune system, to reduce the chances of transmission of the HIV.

It is also estimated that up to 50 percent of HIV-infected individuals in ongoing relationships have HIV-negative partners.

Tayag said the strategy might help control the spread of HIV in the Philippines wherein the virus infects an average of 12 individuals every day.

“If the situation gets worse, this can be an option for prevention for us. We want to know if we can afford it,” Tayag said.

At present, the DOH is advocating the use of condoms and faithfulness to partner among other strategies to prevent the spread of HIV.

“We have not included ARV because there are still no guidelines. We are using ARV, for now, as a treatment,” Tayag said. – With Rudy Santos