Warning on growing HIV drug resistance

Friday July 21st, 2017

Progress in HIV treatment is under threat from growing rates of drug resistance, the World Health Organisation has warned.

In many of the world's developing countries, more than 10% of HIV patients have strains of the virus resistant to the most common antiretrovirals.

This was found in six out of 11 countries from which the WHO gained information in Africa, Asia and Latin America for an annual report on HIV drug resistance.

These countries need an "urgent" review of their treatment programmes, WHO said.

New WHO guidelines say that countries should take action as soon as treatment failure is detected.

Nearly 20 million people received the therapy last year out of some 36 million people with HIV infection.

WHO says continued failures of treatment will lead to an increase in infections and deaths.

It released its latest report for the conference of the International AIDS Society in Paris, France.

Director general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: “Antimicrobial drug resistance is a growing challenge to global health and sustainable development.

“We need to proactively address the rising levels of resistance to HIV drugs if we are to achieve the global target of ending AIDS by 2030.”

* Cows have proved an unexpected potential source for an HIV vaccine, researchers are to tell the Paris conference.

Scientists found that the animals - who gave their name to the word vaccine - produced HIV-blocking antibodies within weeks. Four cows all produced antibodies - while at best 10% of human patients will develop resistance to HIV.

Dr Devin Sok, from the Scripps Research Institute, USA, reported his findings in Nature this week.

Tags: Africa | Asia | Europe | Flu & Viruses | Pharmaceuticals | South America

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