HIV Programme Review in Albania: Antiretrovial therapy and procurement and supply management

Abstract

This WHO country mission, conducted in March 2015, aimed to review the antiretroviral therapy and procurement and supply management components of the HIV/AIDS programme in Albania in order to address current deficiencies and inform the development of a Concept Note for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Albania has a low HIV prevalence overall with 699 individuals diagnosed with HIV in the country at the end of 2013. It is a concentrated epidemic and data on mode of transmission is incomplete. While most of the reported cases are heterosexual transmission there may be a number of unreported or undiagnosed cases among men who have sex with men, people who inject drugs, and sex workers. As of February 2015, 21 children and 339 adult patients with HIV (‎total of 360)‎ were receiving antiretroviral therapy (‎ART)‎ in Albania. The number of HIV tests in the country is very low and thus the number of HIV-related deaths in the country is likely to be underestimated. The majority of people living with HIV in Albania are unaware of their infection and thus likely to be actively transmitting the virus. This report provides main and specific recommendations for optimizing HIV testing, ART and developing efficient procurement and supply chain management for HIV in Albania.