Critical considerations for adopting the HIV “treat all” approach in Zimbabwe: is the nation poised?

Abstract

While the advent of antiretroviral therapy (ART) has increased survival and reduced the number of acquired immune-deficiency syndrome (AIDS) related deaths among people living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) virus (PLHIV), HIV/AIDS remains a global health problem and sub-Saharan Africa continues to bear the greatest burden of disease. There are also major challenges in the HIV response: as of December 2013, only 36% of PLHIV globally were on ART, and for every individual started on ART there were two new PLHIV diagnosed. This has led to considerable debate around adopting an HIV ‘treat all’ approach aimed at greatly escalating the number of PLHIV initiated and retained on ART, regardless of CD4 cell count or World Health Organization (WHO) clinical stage, with the intended goal of achieving viral suppression which should in turn reduce HIV transmission, morbidity and mortality in affected individuals. This paper examines the issues being discussed in Zimbabwe, a low-income country with a high burden of HIV/AIDS, about the implications and opportunities of adopting an HIV ‘treat all’ approach, along with pertinent operational research questions that need to be answered to move the agenda forward. These discussions are timely, given the recent WHO recommendations advising ART for all PLHIV, regardless of CD4 cell count. This research was supported by the UK Department for International Development’s Operational Research Capacity Building Programme led by the International Union Against TB and Lung Disease (The Union)