Question

• How effective has the US been in meeting the goals of the continuum of care?
• Discuss the changes in the US HIV Treatment Guidelines and define the “clinically quiescent stages” and along with your thoughts of their impact the ability to meet the goals of the continuum of care?

Answer 1

The HIV care continuum devides the journey from HIV diagnosis to viral suppression into 5 sequential steps.The goal is to have as many people living with HIV as possible to get tested for the disease,start antiretroviral therapy and continue with ART to acheive and maintain an undetectable viral load.The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS wants every country to have 90% of its HIV population engaged in each phase of the continuum by 2020.The United States has nearly met the UNAIDS target for diagnosis,with approximately 86% of PLWH in the United States aware of their HIV status.However,it has made little progress towards the 90% targets for percentage of PLWH who start ART or who acheive viral suppression.A review of the HIV care continuum by Kay and colleagues published in AIDS Research Therapy in 2016 underscoresthe importance of instituting effective nterventions at every phase.Healthcare policies that expand access to care for PLWH and promote treatment adherence will help countries come closer to acheiving the UNAIDS 90% target for yviral suppression,improves outcomes for PLWH, and reduce new HIV infections.

Clinically quiescent stage ,HIV viral replication persists and causes a geradual destruction of the individual's CD4T lymphocytes.This is associated with cardiovascular,kidney and liver disease,neurologic complications and mallignancy.

Our society has a tendency to show avidance and neglectance towards the HIV infected people.This attitude of the society should be changed first.People have t accept these people like the normal people and treat them nicely.Awareness classes should taken to every people so that the infected people come forward for treatment.They always like to keep their privacy with them.Confidentality should keep in every step of the infected people.