by Penazzato P, Lee J, Capparelli E, Essajee S.M, Ford N, Ojoo A, Pascual F, Sugandhi N and Lallemant M. Journal of the International AIDS Society, December 2015,18(Suppl 6):20270
Summary: Nearly a year ago, UNAIDS launched the ambitious “90–90–90” targets to help end the AIDS epidemic: by 2020, 90% of people living with HIV will be diagnosed, 90% of those diagnosed will be on sustained antiretroviral therapy (ART), with 90% viral suppression in those on ART. The Journal of the International AIDS society has published a special supplement on paediatric HIV. This commentary discusses how to ensure that antiretroviral drugs for children and adolescents are suitable to the context of resource-limited settings. Drug optimization aims to support the expanded use of more simplified, less toxic drug regimens with high barriers to drug resistance that require minimal clinical monitoring while maintaining therapeutic efficacy. This manuscript summarizes the progress made and outlines further critical steps required to ensure that the right drugs are available to start children and adolescents on treatment and to keep them virologically suppressed.
