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Updated: Jul 30, 2026

Comprehensive & Cost Effective Laboratory Monitoring of HIV/AIDS: an African Role Model
Published on: October 31, 2010
The contribution of observational studies in supporting the WHO 'treat all' recommendation for HIV/AIDS
Nathan Ford1, Martina Penazzato1, Marco Vitoria1
1Department of HIV and Global Hepatitis Programme, WHO, Geneva, Switzerland.
Abstract:
In 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended that all people living with HIV (PLWH) should start antiretroviral therapy (ART) irrespective of clinical or immune status. This recommendation followed almost 20 years of research into the clinical and population-level benefits and risks of starting ART early compared with deferring treatment. This article summarises the ways in which observational data support the work of WHO, including the support provided by the International epidemiology Databases to Evaluate AIDS (IeDEA), taking the example of 'treat all'.
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