Antiretroviral treatment in Asia

The availability of antiretroviral treatment more than tripled between 2003 and 2006 in Asia.¹⁹ Although this seems encouraging, only just over a third of people in the region who are in need of HIV treatment are receiving it.²⁰ In addition, access to HIV treatment varies widely across the region. Cambodia and Thailand have an estimated treatment coverage of between 50-75 percent, whilst estimated treatment coverage in Malaysia and the Philippines ranges between 31-50 percent.²¹

A major barrier to treatment access is the high cost of antiretroviral drugs, as both first- and second-line drugs are still unaffordable to many governments. Cheaper generic drugs are now produced by a number of pharmaceutical manufacturers in Asia, and together with the increasing availability of lower-cost branded ARVs, it will be easier for governments to obtain and distribute the drugs. Yet even where drugs are available, the poor state of healthcare in many Asian countries, particularly a shortage of trained doctors, is hindering governments' abilities to organise life-long treatment programmes for millions of people living with HIV