Antiretroviral therapy coverage among people living with HIV in key populations (A–E)

Antiretroviral therapy has been shown to reduce HIV-related morbidity and mortality among people living with HIV and to reduce the transmission of HIV. People living with HIV in key populations should be able to access mainstream services that provide antiretroviral therapy without fear of facing stigma or discrimination and to be able to receive care from health-care workers who have the clinical knowledge to meet their specific needs. Ideally, all of these mainstream services should meet the standards for becoming sensitized to the need of key populations. Accordingly, antiretroviral therapy coverage is a crucial way of assessing access to mainstream services.

In recent years, the guidelines on eligibility for antiretroviral therapy have changed several times. National guidelines do not always match global guidelines. As a result, antiretroviral therapy coverage has been reported using numerous definitions, including those based on global guidelines, or national guidelines, or both. When guidelines are modified to increase eligibility among people who are living with HIV, coverage estimates will decrease. To avoid multiple antiretroviral therapy coverage values, the number of key population members living with HIV receiving antiretroviral therapy will be presented in relation to the total number of key population members living with HIV.

This indicator will be aligned with the indicator on antiretroviral therapy coverage among all people living with HIV.