HIV treatment simplification could ease pressure on South Africa’s health system by reducing unnecessary clinic visits, Dr Anna Grimsrud and Lynne Wilkinson argue. The authors propose longer medicine supplies, annual clinical reviews for stable adults and stronger patient recall systems. Their recommendations come amid funding uncertainty for the world’s largest HIV treatment programme. They cite June 2026 reports of a…
Tag: antiretroviral therapy
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Older Adults With HIV Set To Double By 2040
The number of older adults with HIV will rise sharply over the next 15 years, testing health systems never built for their complex needs. A new report in The Lancet projects that the global number of people aged 50 and older living with HIV will almost double between 2025 and 2040. The total is expected to climb from 11.5 million…
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Lenacapavir HIV Prevention Could Transform South Africa
Over the past four decades, antiretroviral therapy has transformed HIV care. A diagnosis that was once frequently fatal can now be managed as a chronic condition. Treatment has extended life expectancy and improved quality of life. It has also enabled millions of people living with HIV to remain healthy and productive. Preventing new infections remains a major challenge. South Africa…
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Global HIV Treatment Gap Leaves 8.8 Million Behind
Nearly nine million people living with HIV are not receiving treatment, despite major progress in expanding access to antiretroviral medicines. UNAIDS estimates that 40.9 million people were living with HIV in 2025. Of these, 32.1 million were accessing antiretroviral therapy. This means about 8.8 million people remained without treatment. Around 78% of people living with HIV had access to treatment.…
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Pharmacists Prescribe HIV Treatment and Enhance Care
In a move heralded as a significant victory for public health, South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) has upheld a decision. This allows specially trained pharmacists to prescribe HIV treatment and initiate and manage antiretroviral treatment (ARVs) for people living with HIV. The South African Pharmacy Council (SAPC) stated that the judgment will be instrumental in bridging a significant…
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Child HIV Treatment and Access to Care
A concerning reality has emerged from recent estimates. Approximately one in three of the 157,000 children living with HIV in South Africa are not accessing the antiretroviral therapy (ART) they desperately need to maintain their health. This situation highlights the critical importance of improving child HIV treatment. This stark figure, highlighted by Thembisa, the leading mathematical model of HIV in…
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HIV cases soar as treatment coverage falters
The number of people living with HIV in South Africa has, for the first time, reached the eight million mark. These statistics show HIV cases soaring, with around 6.2 million receiving treatment, according to new estimates. The number of individuals living with HIV in South Africa is projected to surpass eight million in 2024. This accounts for 12.8% of the…
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Assessing the successes and failures of Dr Aaron Motsoaledi
Dr Aaron Motsoaledi first became South Africa’s Minister of Health 15 years ago, tasked with ensuring people in South Africa had access to quality healthcare services. Yesterday, Motsoaledi appointed South Africa’s new Minister of Health, Joe Phaahla, as his deputy. Motsoaledi’s first term can be judged on two main points: the response to the HIV epidemic and the functioning of…