Initial assessment of the COVID-19 vaccination's impact on case numbers, hospitalisations and deaths in people aged 80 years and older, 15 EU/EEA countries, December 2020 to May 2021.

Prioritisation of elderly people in COVID-19 vaccination campaigns aimed at reducing severe outcomes in this group. Using EU/EEA surveillance and vaccination uptake, we estimated the risk ratio of case, hospitalisation and death notifications in people 80 years and older compared with 25-59-year-olds. Highest impact was observed for full vaccination uptake 80% or higher with reductions in notification rates of cases up to 65% (IRR: 0.35; 95% CI: 0.13-0.99), hospitalisations up to 78% (IRR: 0.22; 95% CI: 0.13-0.37) and deaths up to 84% (IRR: 0.16; 95% CI: 0.13-0.20).

Estimated number of deaths directly averted in people 60 years and older as a result of COVID-19 vaccination in the WHO European Region, December 2020 to November 2021.

Since December 2019, over 1.5 million SARS-CoV-2-related fatalities have been recorded in the World Health Organization European Region - 90.2% in people ≥ 60 years. We calculated lives saved in this age group by COVID-19 vaccination in 33 countries from December 2020 to November 2021, using weekly reported deaths and vaccination coverage. We estimated that vaccination averted 469,186 deaths (51% of 911,302 expected deaths; sensitivity range: 129,851-733,744; 23-62%). Impact by country ranged 6-93%, largest when implementation was early.

High level of pre-treatment and acquired HIV drug resistance in Honduras: a nationally representative survey, 2016-17.

BACKGROUND: Pre-treatment HIV drug resistance (HIVDR) to NNRTIs has consistently increased in low-/middle-income countries during the last decade. OBJECTIVES: To estimate the prevalence of pre-treatment HIVDR and acquired HIVDR among persons living with HIV (PLHIV) on ART for 12 ±âŸ3 months (ADR12) and ≥48 months (ADR48) in Honduras. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A nationwide cross-sectional survey with a two-stage cluster sampling was conducted from October 2016 to November 2017. Twenty-two of 54 total ART clinics representing >90% of the national cohort of adults on ART were included. HIVDR was assessed for protease and reverse transcriptase Sanger sequences using the Stanford HIVdb tool. RESULTS: A total of 729 PLHIV were enrolled; 26.3% (95% CI 20.1%-33.5%) ART initiators reported prior exposure to antiretrovirals. Pre-treatment HIVDR prevalence was 26.9% (95% CI 20.2%-34.9%) to any antiretroviral and 25.9% (19.2%-33.9%) to NNRTIs. NNRTI pre-treatment HIVDR was higher in ART initiators with prior exposure to antiretrovirals (P = 0.001). Viral load (VL) suppression rate was 89.7% (85.1%-93.0%) in ADR12 and 67.9% (61.7%-73.6%) in ADR48. ADR12 to any drug among PLHIV with VL ≥1000 copies/mL was 86.1% (48.9%-97.6%); 67.1% (37.4%-87.5%) had HIVDR to both NNRTIs and NRTIs, and 3.8% (0.5%-25.2%) to PIs. ADR48 was 92.0% (86.8%-95.3%) to any drug; 78.1% (66.6%-86.5%) to both NNRTIs and NRTIs, and 7.3% (1.8%-25.1%) to PIs. CONCLUSIONS: The high prevalence of NNRTI pre-treatment HIVDR observed in Honduras warrants consideration of non-NNRTI-based first-line regimens for ART initiation. Programmatic improvements in HIVDR monitoring and adherence support may also be considered.

Tuberculosis and HIV coinfection and related collaborative activities in Latin America and the Caribbean.

OBJECTIVE: To inform about the most recent epidemiological trends and integrated programmatic response to tuberculosis (TB) and HIV coinfection in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). METHODS: A descriptive review analyzed the most relevant indicators on TB/HIV coinfection in 33 countries in LAC with a cross-sectional and time-trend approach. Data were obtained from publicly available databases and analyzed through simple proportions, weighted means, and risk ratios. RESULTS: In LAC, during 2017, 80.8% of TB patients were actively screened for HIV, with a 25.6% increase between 2011 and 2017. In the same year, the proportion of TB patients with HIV-positive status was 11.2%, with a small but progressive reduction of 5% since 2011. The provision of antiretroviral therapy and anti-TB medication among TB/HIV coinfected patients for 2017 was at 60%. Only one-third of people living with HIV had access to isoniazid preventive therapy. Overall, the mortality in the TB/HIV cohort has not changed since 2012, hovering at around 20%. CONCLUSIONS: TB/HIV collaborative activities, as the backbone to address TB/HIV coinfection, are being scaled up in LAC and some indicators show a tendency toward improvement; nevertheless, our review shed light on the need to keep strengthening integration of service delivery, joint monitoring and evaluation, and data quality.

HIV, syphilis, and viral hepatitis among Latin American indigenous peoples and Afro-descendants: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: To identify and summarize existing literature on the burden of HIV, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and viral hepatitis (VH) in indigenous peoples and Afro-descendants in Latin America to provide a broad panorama of the quantitative data available and highlight problematic data gaps. METHODS: Published and grey literature were systematically reviewed to identify documents published in English, Spanish, or Portuguese with data collected between January 2000 and April 2016 on HIV, STI, and VH disease burden among indigenous peoples and Afro-descendants in 17 Latin American countries. RESULTS: Sixty-two documents from 12 countries were found. HIV prevalence was generally low (< 1%) but pockets of high prevalence (> 5%) were noted in some indigenous communities in Venezuela (Warao) (9.6%), Peru (Chayahuita) (7.5%), and Colombia (Wayuu females) (7.0%). High active syphilis prevalence (> 5%) was seen in some indigenous communities in Paraguay (11.6% and 9.7%) and Peru (Chayahuita) (6.3%). High endemicity (> 8%) of hepatitis B was found in some indigenous peoples in Mexico (Huichol) (9.4%) and Venezuela (Yanomami: 14.3%; Japreira: 29.5%) and among Afro-descendant quilombola populations in Brazil (Frechal: 12.5%; Furnas do Dionísio: 8.4% in 2008, 9.2% in 2003). CONCLUSIONS: The gaps in existing data on the burden of HIV, STIs, and VH in indigenous peoples and Afro-descendants in Latin America highlight the need to 1) improve national surveillance, by systematically collecting and analyzing ethnicity variables, and implementing integrated biobehavioral studies using robust methodologies and culturally sensitive strategies; 2) develop a region-wide response policy that considers the needs of indigenous peoples and Afro-descendants; and 3) implement an intercultural approach to health and service delivery to eliminate health access barriers and improve health outcomes for these populations.

Regional Challenges in the Prevention of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Drug Resistance.

In diverse global regions with significant human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) burden, programmatic, cultural, and provider-, patient-, and virus-related factors may result in HIV drug resistance, with global implications. This article reviews such common and unique challenges in Russia, Latin America and the Caribbean, China, and India, to suggest potential solutions.

Progress and challenges in implementing HIV care and treatment policies in Latin America following the treatment 2.0 initiative.

BACKGROUND: The Pan American Health Organization provides technical cooperation to countries in Latin America and the Caribbean for the scale-up of HIV care and treatment based on the Treatment 2.0 initiative. Fourteen Joint Review Missions (JRMs) were conducted between March 2012 and October 2014. Evaluating the degree of implementation of the recommendations of the JRMs and their impact on health policies, would help countries identify their gaps and areas for priority interventions. METHODS: A descriptive analysis of the JRM recommendations was conducted for eight countries. An in-depth cross-sectional retrospective analysis of the degree of implementation of these recommendations in Ecuador, Venezuela, Bolivia, and El Salvador was performed through a standardized self-administered questionnaire applied to key informants. A comparative quantitative analysis on the optimization of antiretroviral regimens 'before/after' JRMs was conducted in three of the latter four countries, using data reported in 2013 and 2014. RESULTS: The priority areas with most recommendations were the optimization of antiretroviral treatment (ART) regimens (n = 57), the rational and efficient use of resources (n = 27) and the provision of point-of-care diagnostics and monitoring tools (n = 26), followed by community mobilization (n = 23), strategic information (n = 17) and the adaptation of delivery services (n = 15). The in-depth analysis in four countries showed that the two priority areas where most progress was observed were the rational and efficient use of resources (62%) and the optimization of ART regimens (60%). Adaptation of delivery services, community mobilization and strategic information were rated at 52% and the provision of point-of-care diagnostics and monitoring tools 38%. The quantitative analysis on optimization evidenced a 36% reduction in the number of first-line and second-line ART regimens, a 5.4% increase in the proportion of patients on WHO-recommended first-line regimens, a 19.4% increase in the use of the WHO preferred first-line regimen, 51% increase in the use of WHO-recommended second-line regimens, and a significant reduction in the use of obsolete drugs in first- and second-line regimens (respectively 1 and 9% of regimens in 2013). CONCLUSIONS: A relatively good level of progress was perceived in the recommendations related to optimization of ART regimens. Challenges remain on the improvement of recommendations related to health system strengthening and the promotion and support aimed at community-based organizations as part of the response to HIV/AIDS in Latin America. The JRMs are a useful mechanism for providing coherent technical support to guide countries in the pursuit of a comprehensive response to HIV/AIDS in the Latin American region.

Pretreatment HIV-1 Resistance in Argentina: Results from the Second Surveillance Study Following World Health Organization Guidelines (2019).

More than 62,000 individuals are currently on antiretroviral treatment within the public health system in Argentina. In 2019, more than 50% of people on ART received non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs). In this context, the second nationwide HIV-1 pretreatment drug resistance surveillance study was carried out between April and December 2019 to assess the prevalence of HIV-1 drug resistance in Argentina using the World Health Organization guidelines. This was a nationwide cross-sectional study enrolling consecutive 18-year-old and older individuals starting ARVs at 19 ART-dispensing centers. This allowed us to estimate a point prevalence rate of resistance-associated mutations (RAMs) with a confidence interval (CI) of 5% (for the total population and for those without antiretroviral exposure). Four-hundred forty-seven individuals were included in the study. The prevalence of mutations associated with resistance was detected in 27.7% (95% CI 25.6-34.9%) of the population. For NNRTI, it was 19.6% (95% CI 16.3-24.5%), for integrase strand transfer inhibitor (INSTI) 6.1% (95% CI 6.1-11.9%), for nucleoside/nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) 3% (95% CI 1.9-5.9%), and for protease inhibitors 1.5% (95% CI 0.7-3.6%). Naive individuals had variants of resistance to NRTIs in 16.8% (95% CI 12.8-21.4) and 5.7% (95% CI 2.9-15.9) to INSTI. For experienced individuals, the prevalence of variants associated with resistance was 30.38% (95% CI 20.8-42.2) for NRTIs and 7.7% (95% CI 2.9-15.9) for INSTI. This study shows an increase in the frequency of nonpolymorphic RAMs associated with resistance to NNRTI. This study generates the framework of evidence that supports the use of schemes based on high genetic barrier integrase inhibitors as the first line of treatment and the need for the use of resistance test before prescribing schemes based on NNRTI. We report for the first time the presence of a natural polymorphism associated with the most prevalent recombinant viral form in Argentina and the presence of a mutation linked to first-line integrase inhibitors such as raltegravir.

HIV Drug Resistance in Adults Initiating or Reinitiating Antiretroviral Therapy in Uruguay-Results of a Nationally Representative Survey, 2018-2019.

The first nationally representative cross-sectional HIV drug resistance (HIVDR) survey was conducted in Uruguay in 2018-2019 among adults diagnosed with HIV and initiating or reinitiating antiretroviral therapy (ART). Protease, reverse transcriptase, and integrase genes of HIV-1 were sequenced. A total of 206 participants were enrolled in the survey; 63.2% were men, 85.7% were >25 years of age, and 35.6% reported previous exposure to antiretroviral (ARV) drugs. The prevalence of HIVDR to efavirenz or nevirapine was significantly higher (OR: 1.82, p < 0.001) in adults with previous ARV drug exposure (20.3%, 95% CI: 18.7-22.0%) compared to adults without previous ARV drug exposure (12.3%, 11.0-13.8%). HIVDR to any nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors was 10.3% (9.4-11.2%). HIVDR to ritonavir-boosted protease inhibitors was 1.5% (1.1-2.1%); resistance to ritonavir-boosted darunavir was 0.9% (0.4-2.1%) among adults without previous ARV drug exposure and it was not observed among adults with previous ARV drug exposure. Resistance to integrase inhibitors was 12.7% (11.7-13.8%), yet HIVDR to dolutegravir, bictegravir, and cabotegravir was not observed. The high level (>10%) of HIVDR to efavirenz highlights the need to accelerate the transition to the WHO-recommended dolutegravir-based ART. Access to dolutegravir-based ART should be prioritised for people reporting previous ARV drug exposure.

Implementing early-warning indicators of HIV drug resistance in the Caribbean.

A key component of the World Health Organization's (WHO's) Global HIV Drug Resistance (HIVDR) prevention and assessment strategy is to monitor HIVDR early-warning indicators (EWIs), which provide strategic information for HIVDR containment. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)/WHO supported implementation of HIVDR EWI monitoring in 16 Caribbean countries. Results from 15 countries were analyzed by year of patient initiation of antiretroviral therapy for the period 2005-2009. This report demonstrates the need for capacity-building to standardize prescribing practices and to strengthen adherence strategies and antiretroviral drug procurement management systems.

HIV drug resistance early warning indicators in cohorts of individuals starting antiretroviral therapy between 2004 and 2009: World Health Organization global report from 50 countries.

The World Health Organization developed a set of human immunodeficiency virus drug resistance (HIVDR) early warning indicators (EWIs) to assess antiretroviral therapy clinic and program factors associated with HIVDR. EWIs are monitored by abstracting data routinely recorded in clinical records, and the results enable clinics and program managers to identify problems that should be addressed to minimize preventable emergence of HIVDR in clinic populations. As of June 2011, 50 countries monitored EWIs, covering 131 686 patients initiating antiretroviral treatment between 2004 and 2009 at 2107 clinics. HIVDR prevention is associated with patient care (appropriate prescribing and patient monitoring), patient behavior (adherence), and clinic/program management efforts to reduce treatment interruptions (follow up, retention on first-line ART, procurement and supply management of antiretroviral drugs). EWIs measure these factors and the results have been used to optimize patient and population treatment outcomes.

High Level of Pretreatment and Acquired Human Immunodeficiency Virus Drug Resistance in El Salvador: A Nationally Representative Survey, 2018-2019.

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus drug resistance (HIVDR) can negatively impact the effectiveness of antiretroviral therapy (ART). We aimed to estimate the prevalence of pretreatment HIVDR (PDR) among ART initiators and the prevalence of viral load (VL) suppression and acquired HIVDR among individuals receiving ART for 12 ± 3 months (ADR12) and ≥48 months (ADR48) in El Salvador. Methods: Nationally representative cross-sectional PDR, ADR12 and ADR48 surveys were conducted among adults with HIV from October 2018 to August 2019, following World Health Organization-recommended methods. Demographic and clinic data and blood specimens were collected. Results: Two hundred sixty participants were enrolled in the PDR survey, 230 in ADR12 and 425 in ADR48. Twenty-seven percent (95% confidence interval [CI], 17.1%-39.9%) of ART initiators had PDR to efavirenz or nevirapine. The prevalence of VL suppression was 88.8% (95% CI, 83.1%-92.8%) in ADR12 and 80.5% (95% CI, 76.6%-84.0%) in ADR48 surveys. Among people with HIV receiving a first-line nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI)-based ART regimens and with unsuppressed VL, the prevalence of ADR to efavirenz or nevirapine was 72.0% (95% CI, 32.3%-93.3%) and 95.0% (68.5%-99.4%) in the ADR12 and ADR28 surveys, respectively. ADR12 to boosted protease inhibitors (PI/r) or integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs) was not observed. ADR48 was 1.3% (95% CI, 0.2%-9.6%) and 2.1% (0.3%-13.7%), respectively. Conclusions: Programmatic improvements in ART delivery are urgently needed in El Salvador to address the high levels of resistance to efavirenz or nevirapine among ART initiators and the low VL suppression prevalence among individuals on treatment.

Progress of implementation of the World Health Organization strategy for HIV drug resistance control in Latin America and the Caribbean.

By the end of 2010, Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) achieved 63% antiretroviral treatment (ART) coverage. Measures to control HIV drug resistance (HIVDR) at the country level are recommended to maximize the efficacy and sustainability of ART programs. Since 2006, the Pan American Health Organization has supported implementation of the World Health Organization (WHO) strategy for HIVDR prevention and assessment through regional capacity-building activities and direct technical cooperation in 30 LAC countries. By 2010, 85 sites in 19 countries reported early warning indicators, providing information about the extent of potential drivers of drug resistance at the ART site. In 2009, 41.9% of sites did not achieve the WHO target of 100% appropriate first-line prescriptions; 6.3% still experienced high rates (> 20%) of loss to follow-up, and 16.2% had low retention of patients (< 70%) on first-line prescriptions in the first year of treatment. Stock-outs of antiretroviral drugs occurred at 22.7% of sites. Haiti, Guyana, and the Mesoamerican region are planning and implementing WHO HIVDR monitoring surveys or threshold surveys. New HIVDR surveillance tools for concentrated epidemics would promote further scale-up. Extending the WHO HIVDR lab network in Latin America is key to strengthening regional lab capacity to support quality assured HIVDR surveillance. The WHO HIVDR control strategy is feasible and can be rolled out in LAC. Integrating HIVDR activities in national HIV care and treatment plans is key to ensuring the sustainability of this strategy.

Summary of Guidelines for Managing Histoplasmosis among People Living with HIV.

Histoplasmosis is a frequent fungal opportunistic infection in people living with HIV (PLHIV), associated every year to a total of 5% to 15% of AIDS-related deaths among this population. In 2020, the first global guidelines for diagnosing and managing disseminated histoplasmosis among PLHIV was published. This document recommends (1) detection of circulating Histoplasma antigens as the recommended laboratory assay to diagnose histoplasmosis among PLHIV; (2) the use of liposomal amphotericin for induction therapy in severe or moderately severe disease, followed by a maintenance therapy with itraconazole for 12 months; a shorter maintenance therapy could be considered if the patient is clinically stable and if immune status has improved; (3) antiretroviral therapy initiation as soon as possible among patients with histoplasmosis without involvement of central nervous system; and (4) that for the treatment of co-infection with histoplasmosis and tuberculosis (TB), treatment of TB should be initiated according to the World Health Organization treatment guidelines. Appropriate health education of providers, supportive supervision, and policy guidance for the care of PLHIV are required.

Adoption of guidelines on and use of oral pre-exposure prophylaxis: a global summary and forecasting study.

BACKGROUND: In 2016, the UN General Assembly set a global target of 3 million oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) users by 2020. With this target at an end, we aimed to assess global trends in the adoption of WHO PrEP recommendations into national guidelines and numbers of PrEP users, defined as people who received oral PrEP at least once in a given year, and to estimate future trajectories of PrEP use. METHODS: In this global summary and forecasting study, data on adoption of WHO PrEP recommendations and numbers of PrEP users were obtained through the Global AIDS Monitoring system and WHO regional offices. Trends in these indicators for 2016-19 by region and for 2019 by country were described, including by gender and priority populations where data were available. PrEP user numbers were forecasted until 2023 by selecting countries with at least 3 years of PrEP user data as example countries in each region to represent possible future PrEP user trajectories. PrEP user growth rates observed in example countries were applied to countries in corresponding regions under different scenarios, including a COVID-19 disruption scenario with static global PrEP use in 2020. FINDINGS: By the end of 2019, 120 (67%) of 180 countries with data had adopted the WHO PrEP recommendations into national guidelines (23 in 2019 and 30 in 2018). In 2019, there were about 626 000 PrEP users across 77 countries, including 260 000 (41·6%) in the region of the Americas and 213 000 (34·0%) in the African region; this is a 69% increase from about 370 000 PrEP users across 66 countries in 2018. Without COVID-19 disruptions, 0·9-1·1 million global PrEP users were projected by the end of 2020 and 2·4-5·3 million are projected by the end of 2023. If COVID-19 disruptions resulted in no PrEP user growth in 2020, the projected number of PrEP users in 2023 is 2·1-3·0 million. INTERPRETATION: Widespread adoption of WHO PrEP recommendations coincided with a global increase in PrEP use. Although the 2020 global PrEP target will be missed, strong future growth in PrEP use is possible. New PrEP products could expand the PrEP user base, and, with greater expansion of oral PrEP, further adoption of WHO PrEP recommendations, and simplified delivery, PrEP could contribute to ending AIDS by 2030. FUNDING: Unitaid, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and WHO.

Increasing levels of pretreatment HIV drug resistance and safety concerns for dolutegravir use in women of reproductive age.

: Use of dolutegravir-based first-line antiretroviral therapy (ART) in response to rising levels of pretreatment HIV drug resistance (PDR) to non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) may be limited, given safety concerns for birth defects in women of child-bearing potential. Pooled data from 11 nationally representative surveys show that NNRTI PDR in women is nearly twice that in men, exceeding 10% in 8 of 11 countries monitored, suggesting the urgent need for a non-NNRTI-based ART regimen in this population.

High levels of pretreatment and acquired HIV drug resistance in Nicaragua: results from the first nationally representative survey, 2016.

INTRODUCTION: A nationally representative HIV drug resistance (HIVDR) survey in Nicaragua was conducted to estimate the prevalence of pretreatment HIVDR (PDR) among antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiators and acquired HIVDR among people living with HIV (PLHIV) who had received ART for 12 ± 3 months (ADR12) and ≥48 months (ADR48). METHODS: A nationwide cross-sectional survey with a two-stage cluster sampling was conducted from March to November 2016. Nineteen of 45 total ART clinics representing >90% of the national cohort of adults on ART were included. ART initiators were defined as PLHIV initiating or reinitiating first-line ART. HIVDR was assessed for protease, reverse transcriptase and integrase Sanger sequences using the Stanford HIVdb algorithm. Viral load (VL) suppression was defined as <1000 copies/mL. Results were weighted according to the survey design. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: A total of 638 participants were enrolled (PDR: 171; ADR12: 114; ADR48: 353). The proportion of ART initiators with prior exposure to antiretrovirals (ARVs) was 12.3% (95% CI: 5.8% to 24.3%). PDR prevalence to any drug was 23.4% (95% CI: 14.4% to 35.6%), and 19.3% (95% CI: 12.2% to 29.1%) to non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTI). NNRTI PDR was higher in ART initiators with previous ARV exposure compared with those with no exposure (76.2% vs. 11.0%, p < 0.001). Protease inhibitors (PI) and integrase strand transfer inhibitors PDR was not observed. VL suppression rate was 77.8% (95% CI: 67.1% to 85.8%) in ADR12 and 70.3% (95% CI: 66.7% to 73.8%) in ADR48. ADR12 prevalence to any drug among PLHIV without VL suppression was 85.1% (95% CI: 66.1% to 94.4%), 82.4% to NNRTI and 70.2% to nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTI). ADR48 prevalence to any drug among PLHIV without VL suppression was 75.5% (95% CI: 63.5% to 84.5 %), 70.7% to NNRTI, 59.4% to NRTI and 4.6% to PI. CONCLUSIONS: Despite implementation challenges yielding low-precision HIVDR estimates, high rates of NNRTI PDR were observed in Nicaragua, suggesting consideration of non-NNRTI-based first-line regimens for ART initiators. Strengthened HIVDR monitoring, systematic VL testing, and improved ART adherence support are also warranted.

Surveillance of HIV Transmitted Drug Resistance in Latin America and the Caribbean: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: HIV transmitted drug resistance (TDR) remains at moderate level in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). However, different epidemiologic scenarios could influence national and sub-regional TDR levels and trends. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We performed a systematic review of currently available publications on TDR in antiretroviral treatment-naïve adults in LAC. Ninety-eight studies published between January 2000 and June 2015 were included according to critical appraisal criteria and classified by sub-region: Brazil (50), Mesoamerica (17), Southern Cone (16), Andean (8) and Caribbean (7). From these, 81 studies encompassing 11,441 individuals with data on DR mutation frequency were included in a meta-analysis. Overall TDR prevalence in LAC was 7.7% (95% CI: 7.2%-8.2%). An increasing trend was observed for overall TDR when comparing 2000-2005 (6.0%) and 2006-2015 (8.2%) (p<0.0001), which was associated with significant NNRTI TDR increase (p<0.0001). NRTI TDR decreased (4.5% vs. 2.3%, p<0.0001). NNRTI TDR increase was associated mainly with K101E, K103N and G190A. NRTI TDR decrease was associated mainly with M184V, K70R and T215Y. All sub-regions reached moderate overall TDR levels. The rapid increase in TDR to all antiretroviral classes in the Caribbean is notable, as well as the significant increase in NNRTI TDR reaching moderate levels in the Southern Cone. NRTI TDR was dominant in 2000-2005, mainly in the Caribbean, Mesoamerica and Brazil. This dominance was lost in 2006-2015 in all sub-regions, with the Southern Cone and the Caribbean switching to NNRTI dominance. PI TDR remained mostly constant with a significant increase only observed in the Caribbean. CONCLUSIONS: Given the high conceptual and methodological heterogeneity of HIV TDR studies, implementation of surveys with standardized methodology and national representativeness is warranted to generate reliable to inform public health policies. The observed increasing trend in NNRTI TDR supports the need to strengthen TDR surveillance and programme monitoring and evaluation in LAC.

Towards a fair consideration of PrEP as part of combination HIV prevention in Latin America.

INTRODUCTION: Despite progress in scaling up antiretroviral treatment, HIV prevention strategies have not been successful in significantly curbing HIV incidence in Latin America. HIV prevention interventions need to be expanded to target the most affected key populations with a combination approach, including new high impact technologies. Oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is recommended as additional prevention choice for individuals at higher risk of infection and could become a cost-effective prevention tool. We discuss the barriers and solutions for a fair consideration of PrEP as part of combination HIV prevention strategies in Latin America. DISCUSSION: Although demonstration projects are ongoing or being planned in a number of countries, to date no Latin American country has implemented a public PrEP programme. The knowledge of policymakers about PrEP implementation needs to be strengthened, and programmatic guidance and cost estimate tools need to be developed to support adequate planning. Despite high levels of awareness among health providers, especially if engaged in HIV or key population care, willingness to prescribe PrEP is still low due to the lack of national policies and guidelines. Key populations, especially men who have sex with men, transgender women and sex workers, have been engaged in demonstration projects, and qualitative research shows high awareness and willingness to use PrEP, especially if accessible in the public sector for free or at affordable price. Concerns of safety, adherence, effectiveness and risk compensation need to be addressed through targeted social communication strategies to improve PrEP knowledge and stimulate demand. Alliance among policymakers, civil society and representatives from key populations, healthcare providers and researchers will be critical for the design and successful implementation of PrEP demonstration projects of locally adapted delivery models. The use of mechanisms of joint negotiation and procurement of antiretrovirals could reduce costs and significantly increase the cost-effectiveness of PrEP. CONCLUSIONS: PrEP is an additional prevention tool and should be implemented in combination and synergy with other prevention interventions. PrEP programmes should target high-risk individuals from key populations for higher cost-effectiveness. Demonstration projects may generate strategic information for and lead to the implementation of full-scale PrEP programmes.