International HIV/AIDS Alliance partners and others working on HIV/AIDS and essential drugs were extensively consulted through needs assessments in Côte d'Ivoire, India and Zambia before the handbook was drafted. When the handbook was available as a working document, it was field-tested in a series of skills-building workshops in Cambodia, India and Zambia. The handbook has been amended and adapted accordingly.

This handbook has been inspired by the ideas of many organizations in many countries and has directly benefited from their varied experiences. It has drawn on the work of groups providing HIV/AIDS care and support who have seen that access to treatment is a serious problem for people living with HIV/AIDS in resource-poor settings. It has also drawn on the work of those who have worked for many years to improve access to essential drugs for all people living in resource-poor countries.