--------- MARCH 2002 11

An excellent article by Professor Gerald Friedland, which

appears in this issue of the Journal, underscores the

importance of adherence to antiretroviral regimens in

promoting a successful outcome to therapies. It is

incumbent on all doctors who prescribe therapies

suggested in the Society's Guidelines to pay more than

just lip service to adherence counselling. Ongoing

counselling and advice is as important for our patients

as the choice of antiretrovirals. Strategies to improve

adherence to therapies are outlined in this very useful

article.

DES MARTIN
Editor, Southern African Journal of HIV Medicine
President, Southern African HIV Clinicions Society

will need to be reviewed on a more frequent basis than

we have done in the past. It would be appropriate

therefore to consider reviewing them on an annual

basis, which has become the international norm.

At the same meeting guidelines for the prevention and

treatment of opportunistic infections were formulated,

and these are published in the current issue of the

Journal. My thanks go to the members of the guidelines

committee who gave up their valuable time to

participate in this process.

The issues surrounding the provision of antiretroviral

therapies, in particular the provisi~n of a single dose of
nevirapine to pregnant mothers and newborn infants to

interrupt mother-to-child transmission [MTCn of HIV,

have filled the pages of our popular press. We in the

Southern African HIV Clinicians Society believe that the

time for research has passed and the time for

implementation is at hand, to which end the Society

issued a strongly worded press release in early February

2002. In so doing we added our voice to other strident

voices emanating from the medical community,

particularly those of Professor James Mclntyre and

Dr Glenda Gray. It is with particular pride that I would

like to extend my congratulations to Mclntyre and Gray

on their receipt of the 2002 Nelson Mandela Award for

Health and Human Rights.

FROM THE
EDITOR

There are two important factors that lead to success in

the use of antiretroviral (ARV) therapies; firstly

guidelines for the use of these therapies appropriate to

our setting, and secondly adherence to the prescribed

medications. To this end the Society's guidelines

committee met recently to review and formulate

guidelines for the use of antiretroviral therapies for both

adults and children. These guidelines are currently being

sent to international reviewers for comment and they

will be published in the June issue of the Journal. It

must be recognised that the formulation of guidelines is

a dynamic process and in the ever-changing milieu of

new drugs, prices and combinations· these guidelines

THE SOUTHERN AFRICAN JOURNAL Of HIV MEDICINE