On this World AIDS Day, we reflect on our global successes in scaling up HIV prevention and treatment efforts and averting new infections.
The “treat all” recommendation issued by the World Health Organization in 2015 was a critical milestone in the HIV response. Also known as “test and treat,” the recommendation expands antiretroviral therapy (ART) eligibility to include all people living with HIV, regardless of CD4 count, and recommends universal lifelong treatment.
This approach ensures that HIV-positive pregnant and breastfeeding women identified in antenatal care, during labor, or while breastfeeding, can benefit from the use of lifelong ART — also known as Option B+ — rather than starting and stopping treatment if they are ineligible upon cessation of breastfeeding, which is known as Option B.
The Option B+ approach simplifies treatment guidelines and prioritizes the health of pregnant women and mothers, and it has proven effective. According to UNAIDS, the number of new HIV infections among children has decreased by 56 percent globally since 2010.