Access to ARV Drugs
5.1 Global Situation
The World Health Organisation estimates that of the 6.5-million people who required ART in the developing and transitional world in June 2005, only 970,000 (15%) received it.
WHO: ARV therapy coverage in low and middle income countries, June 2005
| Geographical Region | Number of people receiving ARV therapy | Estimated need | Coverage |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 2,120,000 | 7,000,000 | 30% |
| Latin America and the Caribbean | 390,000 | 630,000 | 62% |
| East, South and South-East Asia | 420,000 | 1,700,000 | 25% |
| Europe and Central Asia | 54,000 | 320,000 | 17% |
| North Africa and the Middle East | 7,000 | 100,000 | 7% |
| Total | 2,990,000 | 9,700,000 | 31% |
| Source: Towards Universal access Scaling up priority HIV/AIDS interventions in the health sector, Progress report 2008. Please note pdf is 6.69MB | |||
ART coverage map. Estimated percentage of people on ARV therapy in Low- and Middle-Income Countries, December 2007.Credit: Global Health Facts. .
5.2 In South Africa
South Africa's controversial AIDS treatment history over the last decade has resulted in considerable media focus and attention. A timeline of the government treatment policy appears below in this factsheet.
After years of withholding general ART in the public health sector, arguing that the drugs were unaffordable and inappropriate, the SA Cabinet announced its approval of the SA National Department of Health's Operational Plan for Comprehensive HIV and AIDS Care, Management and Treatment for South Africa in November 2003.
The five-year plan provides for ARVs to be made available in the public health sector for the first time on a large scale. However, as detailed in the WHO report highlighted above, the implementation of this plan has been slow.
The Cabinet 
announcement cited 5. "favourable conditions" including falling drug prices and growing experience in fighting HIV/AIDS as reasons for the implementation of the plan at this stage.
| Planned number of patients on ART vs no. of new AIDS patients per year | |||
| Years | ARVs | Total Cases on ARVs (planned) | Projected total new AIDS cases1 |
| 2003/2004 | 53,000 | 53,000 | 388,701 |
| 2004/2005 | 138,315 | 188,665 | 462,841 |
| 2005/2006 | 215,689 | 381,177 | 530,658 |
| 2006/2007 | 299,516 | 645,740 | 586,181 |
| 2007/2008 | 411,889 | 1,001,534 | 624,720 |
| 1. Data from Table 16.1. Represents new AIDS cases per year and not a culmative total. Source: SA National Department of Health, 2003. Operational Plan for Comprehensive HIV and AIDS Care, Management and Treatment for South Africa please note PDF is 2.51MB |
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However, the government was not able to meet its own projections as set out in the table above. By December 2005 about 158,688 people were being treated with ARVs in South Africa, out of a WHO-estimated 837,000 who need the treatment .
