Monitoring the scale-up of antiretroviral therapy programmes : methods to estimate coverage

• Published in: Bulletin of the World Health Organization Vol. 84; no. 2; pp. 145 - 150
• Main Authors: BOERMA, J. Ties, STANECKI, Karen A, ZANIEWSKI, Elizabeth, WALKER, Neff, STOVER, John, GHYS, Peter D, NEWELL, Marie-Louise, LUO, Chewe, BEUSENBERG, Michel, GARNETT, Geoff P, LITTLE, Kirsty, CALLEJA, Jesus Garcia, CROWLEY, Siobhan, JIM YONG KIM
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Genève Organisation mondiale de la santé 01.02.2006; World Health Organization; The World Health Organization
• Subjects: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome; Adolescent; Adults; AIDS; Anti-HIV Agents - supply & distribution; Anti-HIV Agents - therapeutic use; Antiretroviral therapy; Antiretroviral therapy, Highly active; Biological and medical sciences; Case studies; Chemoprevention; Child; Child, Preschool; Cotrimoxazole; Data Collection; Data collection/methods; Developing Countries; Drug therapy; Estimates; Female; Health care industry; Highly active antiretroviral therapy; HIV; HIV Infections - drug therapy; HIV Infections - epidemiology; HIV Infections - prevention & control; Human immunodeficiency virus; Human viral diseases; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Infectious diseases; Low income countries; Low income groups; Male; Medical sciences; Miscellaneous; Needs Assessment; Overreporting; Patients; Program Evaluation; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Services; Treatment needs; Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination - supply & distribution; Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination - therapeutic use; Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole combination; Tuberculosis; United Nations; Viral diseases; Viral diseases of the lymphoid tissue and the blood. Aids; World Health Organization; United States; Sulfanilamide derivatives; Antiretroviral agent; Methodology; Developing countries; Trimethoprim; Epidemiology; Antifolate; Need; Sulfamethoxazole; Antiviral; Tropical medicine; Antiinfectious; Monitoring; Public health; Immunopathology; Evaluation; Evaluation scale; Estimation; Psychometrics; AIDS; Immune deficiency; Infection; Chemotherapy; Treatment; Surveillance; Viral disease; Pyrimidine derivatives; Antibacterial agent; Data gathering
• ISSN: 0042-9686; 1564-0604
• DOI: 10.2471/BLT.05.025189

This paper reviews the data sources and methods used to estimate the number of people on, and coverage of, antiretroviral therapy (ART) programmes in low- and middle-income countries and to monitor the progress towards the "3 by 5" target set by WHO and UNAIDS. We include a review of the data sources used to estimate the coverage of ART programmes as well as the efforts made to avoid double counting and over-reporting. The methods used to estimate the number of people in need of ART are described and expanded with estimates of treatment needs for children, both for ART and for cotrimoxazole prophylaxis. An estimated 6.5 million people were in need of treatment in low- and middle-income countries by the end of 2004, including 660,000 children under age 15 years. The mid-2005 estimate of 970,000 people receiving ART in low- and middle-income countries (with an uncertainty range 840,000-1,100,000) corresponds to a coverage of 15% of people in need of treatment.