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Access notes, preface and acknowledgements
   Last updated: 19.07.02
Handbook on Access to HIV/AIDS-Related Treatment
A collection of information, tools and other resources to help NGOs, CBOs and PLHA groups to think through issues around access to HIV/AIDS-related treatment.

This handbook has been developed as a product of a collaborative project between the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, WHO and UNAIDS. The project aims to develop a practical toolkit for NGOs, CBOS and groups of people living with HIV/AIDS on access to HIV/AIDS-related treatment in developing countries.

The handbook has been designed to be a practical resource to be used, tested and further refined through dissemination and use. It is a draft “working document” and not, therefore, an official document of WHO or UNAIDS.

For further information, please contact:
International HIV/AIDS Alliance
Queensberry House, 104-106 Queen's Road
Brighton BN1 3XF
United Kingdom.
Tel: + 44 1273 718 900
Fax: + 44 1273 718 901

E-mail: mail@aidsalliance.org

Glossary of terms
HIV: Human immuno-deficiency virus

AIDS: Acquired immuno-deficiency syndrome

PLHA: People living with HIV/AIDS

NGO: Non-governmental organisation

CBO: Community based organisation

VCT: Voluntary counselling and testing

STI: Sexually transmitted infection

TB: Tuberculosis

DOT: Directly observed treatment, for example TB medication

PCP: Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia

HAART: Highly active antiretroviral therapy

Acknowledgement
This handbook came to life as an idea for a toolkit to help non-governmental organisations, community based organisations and groups of people living with HIV/AIDS address the sometimes complex issues around their involvement with treatment for HIV-related conditions. It very quickly became obvious that the publication would have to become more than a simple set of training tools. What has evolved from our needs assessments and consultations with NGOs, CBOs and PLHA groups in developing countries is this handbook – a combination of information, tools and resources. We hope that this handbook will help to redress some of the ‘mystique’ that often surrounds HIV/AIDS treatment and equip NGOs, CBOs and PLHA groups to make their own informed enquiries and decisions about HIV/AIDS-related treatment needs and ways of addressing them.

Different users of the handbook will find that the various sections have varying relevance, according to their experiences, priorities and the context in which they are working. All users are, however, encouraged to read through the whole handbook before using particular sections. We hope that this handbook will provide guidance for informing thinking and activities around HIV/AIDS-related treatment with an overview of the varying contexts and needs of people with HIV in their search for appropriate and adequate treatment.

We wish to thank all those who have so generously given their time, energy and guidance during the development of this handbook. A special thanks to the Alliance partners and the many people with HIV/AIDS who shared their experience and supported the development of this resource. We couldn’t have done it without you

The Authors
Carolyn Green, Dr Mandeep Dhaliwal, Sarah Lee, Dr Vinh Kim Nguyen, Hilary Curtis and Georgina Stock

This handbook has been developed and funded as a joint initiative of the World Health Organisation - Department of Essential Drugs & Medicines Policy (WHO/EDM), the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the International HIV/AIDS Alliance.

Source: Access to Treatment Handbook
This is an extract from Mobilising NGOs, CBOs and PLHA Groups for Improving Access to HIV/AIDS-related Treatment: A Handbook of Information, Tools and Other Resources, developed by the International HIV/AIDS Alliance with support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), published in this form in June 2002.

To view the whole publication follow this link.

To download this section, complete with graphics, in pdf format (which requires Adobe Acrobat software to read it) follow this link (file size 200 Kbytes).