Coming back from the dead: living with HIV as a chronic condition in rural Africa

Scaling-up of anti-retroviral therapy (ART) in resource-poor settings has dramatically reduced mortality and morbidity for those with access, but considerable challenges remain for people who are trying to live with HIV as a manageable chronic condition. A return to 'normal life' for people on ART depends on the assurance of an uninterrupted, affordable and accessible supply of medication. However, many poor people also require economic support to re-establish their livelihoods, particularly where productive and financial assets have been depleted because of long-term illness. ART programmes need to seek convergence with economic programmes that have expertise in livelihood support and promotion, and with social protection initiatives. The future for those on ART depends not only on the provision of medicine but also on economic and social support for rebuilding lives and livelihoods.