Paediatric and Adolescent Treatment

This policy brief provides antiretroviral therapy programme managers, implementing partners, procurement and supply chain managers, and other relevant stakeholders with key points to consider before and during the introduction of the new dosage form of ritonavir-boosted lopinavir (LPV/r) oral pellets.

In response to a longstanding demand for a heat-stable and easy to administer formulation of ritonavir boosted lopinavir (LPV/r) for infants and young children, a new formulation in pellet form is now available.

This fact sheet provides simplified information to facilitate proper dosing and administration of lopinavir and ritonavir 40mg/10mg oral pellets.

This document updates the 2013 consolidated guidelines on the use of antiretroviral drugs following an extensive review of evidence and consultations in mid-2015, shared at the end of 2015, and now published in full in 2016. It is being published in a changing global context for HIV and for health more broadly.

This report presents the final results of the Global Plan towards the elimination of new HIV infections among children by 2015 and keeping their mothers alive. It summarizes country progress from 2009 to 2015. Entitled “On the Fast-track to an AIDS-Free Generation”, the report also highlights programmatic interventions undertaken at the country, regional and global levels. The end of the Global Plan heralds the new effort to stop pediatric AIDS, Start Free Stay Free AIDS Free, which was launched in 2016.

The new Consolidated guidelines on HIV, viral hepatitis and STI prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care for key populations outline a public health response for 5 key populations (men who have sex with men, trans and gender diverse people, sex workers, people who inject drugs and people in prisons and other closed settings). They present and discuss new recommendations and consolidate a range of recommendations and guidance from current WHO guidelines.

The IMCI chart booklet is for use by doctors, nurses and other health professionals who see young infants and children less than five years old. It facilitates the use of the IMCI case management process in practice and describes a series of all the case management steps in a form of IMCI charts. 

These charts show the sequence of steps and provide information for performing them. The IMCI chart booklet should be used by all health professionals providing care to sick children to help them apply the IMCI case management guidelines. Health professionals should always use the chart booklet for easy reference. 

The chart booklet is divided into two main parts because clinical signs in sick young infants (up to 2 months) and older children (2 months to 5 years) are somewhat different and because case management procedures also differ between these age groups.

In 2014, only 50% of all HIV-exposed infants were tested by the second month of age. Innovative approaches such as use of assays at the point-of care and adding virological testing at birth could speed up identification and ART initiation. Operational research to fully inform how to implement such innovations remains critical.

In this report, UNAIDS is announcing that 18.2 million people now have access to HIV treatment. The Fast-Track response is working. Increasing treatment coverage is reducing AIDS-related deaths among adults and children. But the life-cycle approach has to include more than just treatment. Tuberculosis (TB) remains among the commonest causes of illness and death among people living with HIV of all ages, causing about one third of AIDS-related deaths in 2015. These deaths could and should have been prevented.