Treatment Guidelines for HIV

The Government of India launched the free Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) initiative in April 2004 across 6 high prevalent states and the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi. Since then, there has been a massive scale-up and decentralization of ART services with the aim to have universal access to life-saving ART for all people living with HIV (PLHIV) in need. There have been major innovations in the National AIDS Control Programme (NACP) in the last two years to improve the access to ART and strengthen service delivery across geographies. Some of these innovations include Dolutegravir (DTG) transition, viral load monitoring, advanced disease management, rapid ART initiation and implementation of differentiated care models. These recent changes in the program necessitated the development of a uniform and standardized National Guidelines for HIV care and Treatment 2021. In this new consolidated National Guidelines for HIV care and Treatment 2021, National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) brings together all existing national recommendations and updates existing guidance. The National Guidelines for HIV care and Treatment 2021 was thoroughly reviewed by clinical experts and practitioners and program managers prior to publication. The National Guidelines for HIV care and Treatment 2021 provides a comprehensive set of recommendations for HIV management in adults and children geared to achieve the 95-95- 95 targets by 2030. The guidelines are primarily intended for medical officers of ART centers across the country and the clinicians in the public or the private sectors who tend to provide services to the people living with HIV (PLHIV). These guidelines are intended to be a reference manual, and a resource to educate heath care workers when providing health services to the PLHIV. It can also be used for in-service health provider education and training, as a source of up-to-date, evidence-based recommendations, and as a self- education tool for health care providers on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of HIV/AIDS. The target audience for this document also includes policy makers and other health care staff, HIV program managers, technical agencies, donors and implementing partners supporting the National AIDS Control Programme at all levels.