Revisions have been made to the latest version of guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of HIV/AIDS, with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommending earlier treatment.
People with HIV-negative sexual partners are advised to begin treatment regardless of their cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4) count.
The fourth version of the Ministry of Health and Welfare guidelines recommends an earlier starting point for HIV treatment for HIV-positive people at a CD4 T-cell count of 500 or less, or 500 T-cells or less per cubic millimeter of blood, according to the Taiwan AIDS Society.
Studies have shown that starting the antiretroviral therapy at a CD4 count of between 350 and 500 reduces the incidence of opportunistic infections and lowers the death rate in HIV-positive patients, the society said, adding that the WHO raised the treatment bar in June from a CD4 count of 350 to 500, and 90 percent of the countries in the world have since adopted the new guideline.
Another revision to the guidelines recommends that HIV treatment be provided to HIV-positive people who might transmit the virus to their sexual partners, regardless of CD4 count.
According to the result of a clinical trial — known as HPTN 052 — where one partner is HIV-positive and the other is not (serodiscordant), the antiretroviral treatment on HIV-positive people can reduce the risk of transmitting the virus to their HIV-negative sexual partners by 96 percent.
The US Department of Health and Human Services guidelines last year recommended all serodiscordant couples to start treatment regardless of CD4 T-cell counts, followed by the WHO this year.
Centers for Disease Control Director-General Chang Feng-yee (張峰義) said that the cost of HIV treatment, which has exceeded NT$2.6 billion (US$87 million) a year in recent years, is shouldered by the CDC.
Following the guidelines recommended by the WHO can lower the risk of opportunistic infections and prolong the lives of HIV-positive patients, but the price is an upsurge in the cost of medicine, Chang said.
Chang added that preliminary thoughts on how to contain the cost is to have those who often stop the treatment to discontinue taking the drugs, for now, to avoid potential drug-resistance.
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
GLOBAL: Although Matsu has limited capacity for large numbers of domestic tourists, it would be a great high-end destination for international travelers, an official said Lienchiang County’s (Matsu) unique landscape and Cold War history give it great potential to be marketed as a destination for international travelers, Tourism Administration Director General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said at the weekend. Tourism officials traveled to the outlying island for the Matsu Biennial, an art festival that started on Friday to celebrate Matsu’s culture, history and landscape. Travelers to Matsu, which lies about 190km northwest of Taipei, must fly or take the state-run New Taima passenger ship. However, flights are often canceled during fog season from April to June. Chen spoke about her vision to promote Matsu as a tourist attraction in
PAWSITIVE IMPACT: A shop owner said that while he adopted cats to take care of rodents, they have also attracted younger visitors who also buy his dried goods In Taipei’s Dadaocheng (大稻埕), cats lounging in shops along Dihua Street do more than nap amid the scent of dried seafood. Many have become beloved fixtures who double as photography models, attracting visitors and helping boost sales in one of the capital’s most historic quarters. A recent photo contest featuring more than a dozen shop cats drew more than 2,200 submissions, turning everyday cat-spotting into a friendly competition that attracted amateur and professional photographers. “It’s rare to see cats standing, so when it suddenly did, it felt like a lucky cat,” said Sabrina Hsu (徐淳蔚), who won the NT$10,000 top prize in
STRIKE: Some travel agencies in Taiwan said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group tours to the country were proceeding as planned A planned strike by airport personnel in South Korea has not affected group tours to the country from Taiwan, travel agencies said yesterday. They added that they were closely monitoring the situation. Personnel at 15 airports, including Seoul’s Incheon and Gimpo airports, are to go on strike. They announced at a news conference on Tuesday that the strike would begin on Friday next week and continue until the Mid-Autumn Festival next month. Some travel agencies in Taiwan, including Cola Tour, Lion Travel, SET Tour and ezTravel, said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group
RSS