Terapia anti retroviral / Antiretroviral therapy

RESUMO

There are treatments to induce the long term suppression of viral replication and that delays the progression of HIV disease. To be effective, these treatments require the uninterrupted use of a combination of drugs (ideally three), patients must be highly compliant, must be instituted in early stages of the disease and drugs must be used for prolonged periods and given by specialists. These treatments are indicated in all symptomatic patients and in those with early immunologic deterioration or high viral load. Recent infection and acute primary retroviral infections should also be considered for treatment. The treatment sponsored and financed by the ministry of health for its beneficiaries is insufficient at this time, since it is received by a minority of eligible patients due to budgetary reasons, and only two drugs are given which is considered sub optimal by most experts. The committee considers that the responsibility for financing, providing and delivering these treatments in proper combination and dosages exceeds the duty of the Ministry of Health and should include all the involved parties. However, the state and its official institutions have a special responsibility to provide with adequate treatments to the poorer segments of our population. They also should promote, supervise and control the proper access of the rest of the population to efficient treatments. The committee also considers that the efforts to prevent new infections must not be neglected and that individuals under successful treatment should not consider themselves as non infectious