Unplanned antiretroviral treatment interruptions in southern Africa: how should we be managing these

Adherence to antiretroviral therapy is essential for maximising individual treatment outcomes and preventing the

development of drug resistance. It is, however, frequently compromised due to predictable, but adverse, scenarios

in the countries most severely affected by HIV/AIDS. This paper looks at lessons from three specific crises in southern

Africa: the 2008 floods in Mozambique, the ongoing political and economic crisis in Zimbabwe, and the 2007

public sector strike in South Africa. It considers how these crises impacted on the delivery of antiretroviral therapy

and looks at some of the strategies employed to mitigate any adverse effects. Based on this it makes recommendations

for keeping patients on treatment and limiting the development of drug resistance where treatment interruptions are inevitable