WHO policy brief: Providing care to people with advanced HIV disease who are seriously ill

Overview

People with advanced HIV disease are at very high risk of opportunistic infections and deaths. Despite good progress worldwide towards goals of HIV testing, establishing people on antiretroviral therapy (ART) and ensuring effective HIV viral suppression (95-95-95), advanced HIV disease remains a persistent problem. About one fifth of people living with HIV admitted to hospital don’t survive their hospital admission, and of those who survive, nearly a third die or are readmitted to hospital within a year.

This policy brief should be read alongside the WHO Guideline for managing people with advanced HIV disease. It summarises existing WHO guidance that is most relevant to providing care for people living with HIV who are seriously ill, particularly people who require hospital admission. It covers screening and diagnostic testing for TB and other opportunistic infections, management of common infectious and non-infectious HIV-associated conditions, management of ART, and linkage between different levels of care.

This policy brief is primarily intended for use by country HIV programme officers and hospital management. It is also intended for use by clinicians and other healthcare workers; international and bilateral agencies and organizations that provide financial and technical support to HIV programmes in low- and middle-income countries; community-based organizations; and people living with HIV.

Access the policy brief here.