E-drug: Implications of antiretroviral drug therapy
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I am writing to encourage list members to request a new WHO publica-
tion called 'The implications of antiretroviral treatments'
(WHO/ASD/97.2). This is a report of an informal consultation held in
April 1997. Unlike some other WHO documents which report that a meet-
ing was held and that some recommendations were made this is a very
well written and useful document.
There is a detailed review article describing and summarising the is-
sues. Then there are a series of short well written background papers
that provide more detailed information on various topics such as Cur-
rent recommendations, Adherence to ARV therapy, Resistance to ARVs,
Laboratory Monitoring, Setting government priorities (by a World bank
staff member), Costs and financing aspects, Perinatal transmission
issues, Implications for voluntary counselling, and Ethical issues.
There are also 4 case studies that make the reality of the tough
choices real.
The background paper 'Costs and financing issues' by Katherine Floyd
and Charles Gilks is the paper I was most interested in and it
clearly documents the impossibility of ARV therapy in high prevalence
poor countries. But all of the papers are clear and easy to read.
The editors Eric van Praag, Susan Fernyak and Alison Martin Katz de-
serve credit for putting this publication together so quickly and en-
suring the high standard of the writing. I expect that this topic
will need to be revisited regularly and I hope there will be updates
to this publication.
Richard Laing
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Richard Laing (Associate Professor)
Department of International Health,
Boston University School of Public Health,
53 Bay State Rd, Boston 02215 MA USA
Tel: +1-617-353-6630
Fax: +1-617-353-6330
mailto:richardl@bu.edu
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Note from the moderator: Erik van Praag of WHO can be reached under
email vanpraage@who.ch
Wilbert Bannenberg, SADAP Coordinator
Hallmark 938, P/Bag X 828, Pretoria 0001, South Africa
Tel work +27-12-3120374/5 Fax +27-12-3244525 Cellphone +27-82-5756249
Email 73377.3055@compuserve.com or bannew@hltrsa.pwv.gov.za
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