Treating HIV sooner would save South African lives and money

ScienceDaily (July 25, 2011) — If South Africa followed a new World Health Organization recommendation to give antiretroviral therapy to people with HIV when they were still at a higher level of health, it would reduce new infections, lengthen thousands of lives, and recoup the government's investment by 2026, according to new research.See Also:Health & MedicineHIV and AIDSInfectious DiseasesHealth PolicyScience & SocietyPublic HealthFunding PolicyRacial DisparityReferenceAntiretroviral drugHIV testTransmission (medicine)Antiviral drug

If the South African government followed a recent recommendation by the World Health Organization to start antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV-infected residents earlier in the progress of the disease, the policy shift would start saving the country money after 16 years and would extend thousands of lives for dozens of years, according to a new study.

In 2009, the WHO recommended that people start ART when a key measure of immune system strength, the CD4