ART failure and strategies for switching ART regimens

Report of the WHO expert consultation held in Copenhagen, 7 December 2007, which had the following objectives:

• to review existing evidence for use of virological, immunological and other tests as well as clinical endpoints in monitoring ART response;
• to review national ART recommendations and goals in western Europe and consider definitions of ART failure in a public health approach (first- and second-line ART and when to switch);
• to examine HIV/AIDS national programmes’ capacity to utilize VL and CD4 measurement; and
• to review the role of HIV comorbidity with hepatitis C and hepatitis B at the VL threshold level constituting first-line ART failure in coinfected patients.