Starting Antiretroviral Treatment Early Improves Outcomes for HIV-Infected Individuals
Following the release of findings from an international trial on early benefits of
treatment, New Zealand AIDS Foundation is calling PHARMAC to fund the immediate access
to medication for people living with HIV.
“The START trial has found a 53% reduction in serious illness or death for people who begin
using medications early,” says Shaun Robinson, Executive Director, NZ AIDS Foundation.
“What is more, HIV medication reduces the level of HIV virus in a person’s blood which
significantly lowers their ability to infect others. With around 100 new HIV infections
occurring in New Zealand each year it is in everyone’s interest to make access to
medications as easy as possible.”
In 2014 PHARMAC agreed in principle to remove the CD4 threshold (the clinical definition
of when a person with HIV could access treatments) but made the funding of this decision
a medium priority. The new evidence of significant improvements for people’s health and
the secondary benefit of reduced ability to pass on HIV will both provide overall cost
benefits for the health system. “One new HIV infection prevented saves $1 million over a
person’s lifetime. It makes economic sense to fund immediate access to mediations as
well as being the right thing for people’s health,” said Mr Robinson.
The new evidence adds weight to the need for people to test for HIV. The START evidence
shows that a person’s health will be dramatically improved if they have their HIV
diagnosed and start treatment as soon as possible.
HIV remains incurable. “The decision to start medications should continue to be one made
between the individual and their doctor,” said Mr Robinson. “There are side effects and
people need to be ready to commit to a life-long process of taking the medications every
day. However, the START results should be encouraging people to begin treatment
immediately”. The evidence is now clear that there is no clinical or financial reason to
have a clinical threshold set by PHARMAC that stops patients and doctors making the
decision to start medications early.
