Poor ART Adherence, Understanding Threatening to Undermine Gains Against HIV/AIDS in Nepal

Though HIV prevalence in Nepal has dropped from 0.45 percent in 2005 to 0.3 percent in 2012, according to a new report (.pdf) from the government, "[p]oor understanding of antiretroviral therapy (ART) amongst health officials, clinicians and patients in Nepal could undermine [those] gains ... and threaten future progress in lowering the number of new infections," PlusNews reports. The news service interviews several Nepalese HIV/AIDS specialists about the importance of patients' adherence to ART, how difficult travel to clinics can inhibit patients from returning for medication refills or counseling, and how "[p]olicies that neglect the comprehensive nutritional, financial, educational, and pharmaceutical needs of people living with HIV/AIDS amount to treatment illiteracy at the policy level." PlusNews writes, "Observers fear the positive results from national HIV efforts could be diluted if tensions over the administration of HIV programs continue, and adherence issues hamper implementation" (4/17).