The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Wednesday that it is recommending antiretroviral treatment to all persons diagnosed with HIV regardless of its stage. The recommendation is based on a study which shows that providing antiretroviral therapy (ART) as early as possible can increase a HIV-infected person's chances of living a longer and healthier life.

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The WHO is also advocating ART to uninfected persons who face a high risk of contacting HIV. In 2014, the UN agency issued a guideline advocating ART for homosexual men before they could get infected with HIV.

ART is a cocktail of several drugs designed to keep the virus from spreading further so that the patient's immune system will not be overwhelmed by the disease. The less HIV cells in the body, the lesser chance that the patient can infect other people.

Global Fund is one of the organizations that provides financial support to studies aimed at finding a cure for HIV. Its spokesperson Mark Dybul has applauded WHO's recent announcement on HIV treatment. He said that if the recommendation is implemented, HIV will cease to be a grave health concern for the world's population.

UNAIDS spokesperson Michel Sidibe said all persons suffering from HIV should be given the treatment. Based on his agency's estimation, giving ART to those in need now can possibly stop the deaths of over 20 million people and the infection of almost 30 million in the next 15 years.

French medical charity group "Doctors Without Borders" (MSF) has also hailed the announcement. According to MSF, more than 30 percent of those awaiting HIV medicine in third world countries would not receive treatment. The charity organization has cautioned that widespread HIV treatment will need substantial financial backing.

The WHO had calculated that it will need almost $20 billion a year in order to implement the global HIV drug distribution and treatment. But the world's economy will also benefit from the increased spending. People, whose lives and health have been improved and those who have avoided infection, can theoretically produce at least $15 for every dollar spent to save them.

The first AIDS victim was diagnosed more than 3 decades ago and the death toll from this disease has already reached more than 40 million victims.

Tagshiv treatment, antiretroviral therapy, antiretroviral drugs, AIDS, WHO, doctors without borders, MSF, global fund, aids victims