HIV prevention drugs projects call
Monday July 23rd, 2012
Health officials want small projects set up worldwide to test the best way of using HIV drugs to prevent the disease.
Trials have shown that anti-virus pills can massively reduce the risk of people contracting the infection.
But the World Health Organisation has urged a cautious approach to developing a preventative treatment.
It suggests projects offer treatment to people at high risk of infection.
Guidance suggests that recipients should be proved to be free of infection - to ensure courses of treatment do not lead to drug-resistant viral strains developing.
Patients should also be encouraged to use condoms - and should be monitored to ensure they take the pills daily, it says.
The guidance was unveiled at the International Aids Conference in Washington DC, USA.
A spokesman said: "WHO will evaluate the outcome of these projects, together with the evolving scientific evidence."
Tags: Flu & Viruses | Pharmaceuticals | World Health
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