Guideline

Consolidated HIV guidelines: service delivery

Year of Publication

2026

Issuing Institution

World Health Organization

Links

WHO IRIS

Recommendations

28 included recommendations

Following an HIV-positive diagnosis, a package of support interventions should be offered to ensure timely linkage to care for all people with HIV

Status

New

Recommended in favor

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Moderate

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation may be offered outside the health facility

Status

New

Recommended in favor

Conditional

Certainty of evidence

Low

Rapid Antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation should be offered to all people with HIV following a confirmed HIV diagnosis and clinical assessment

Status

New

Recommended in favor

Strong

Certainty of evidence

High

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation should be offered on the same day to people who are ready to start

Status

New

Recommended in favor

Strong

Certainty of evidence

High

People established on ART should be offered clinical visits every 3–6 months, preferably every six months if feasible

Status

New

Recommended in favor

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Moderate

People established on ART should be offered refills of ART lasting 3–6 months, preferably six months if feasible

Status

New

Recommended in favor

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Moderate

Adherence support interventions should be provided to people on antiretroviral therapy (ART). Counselling

Status

New

Recommended in favor

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Moderate

Adherence support interventions should be provided to people on antiretroviral therapy (ART). Reminders

Status

New

Recommended in favor

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Moderate

Adherence support interventions should be provided to people on antiretroviral therapy (ART) . Tailored support from peers, other lay persons or health workers

Status

New

Recommended in favor

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Moderate

Adherence support interventions should be provided to people on antiretroviral therapy (ART). Education

Status

New

Recommended in favor

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Low

HIV programmes should implement interventions to trace people who have disengaged from care and provide support for re-engagement

Status

New

Recommended in favor

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Low

Psychosocial interventions should be provided to all adolescents and young adults living with HIV

Status

New

Recommended in favor

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Moderate

Adolescent-friendly health services should be implemented in HIV services to ensure engagement and improved outcomes

Status

New

Recommended in favor

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Low

Adolescents should be counselled about the potential benefits and risks of disclosure of their HIV-positive status and empowered and supported to determine if, when, how and to whom to disclose

Status

New

Recommended in favor

Conditional

Certainty of evidence

Very low

Trained non-physician clinicians, midwives and nurses can initiate first-line antiretroviral therapy (ART).

Status

New

Recommended in favor

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Moderate

Trained non-physician clinicians, midwives and nurses can maintain antiretroviral therapy (ART).

Status

New

Recommended in favor

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Moderate

Trained and supervised community health workers can dispense antiretroviral therapy (ART) between regular clinical visits

Status

New

Recommended in favor

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Moderate

Trained and supervised lay providers can distribute ART to adults, adolescents and children living with HIV

Status

New

Recommended in favor

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Low

Task sharing of specimen collection and point-of-care testing with nonlaboratory personnel should be implemented when professional staffing capacity is limited

Status

New

Recommended in favor

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Moderate

Decentralization of HIV treatment and care should be considered as a way to increase access to and improve retention in care: initiation of ART in hospitals with maintenance of ART in health facilities

Status

New

Recommended in favor

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Low

Decentralization of HIV treatment and care should be considered as a way to increase access to and improve retention in care: initiation and maintenance of ART in peripheral health facilities

Status

New

Recommended in favor

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Low

Decentralization of HIV treatment and care should be considered as a way to increase access to and improve retention in care: initiation of ART at peripheral health facilities with maintenance at the community level.

Status

New

Recommended in favor

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Moderate

In generalized epidemic settings, ART should be initiated and maintained in eligible pregnant and postpartum women and in infants at maternal and child health-care settings, with linkage and referral to ongoing HIV care and ART, where appropriate

Status

New

Recommended in favor

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Very low

Sexual and reproductive health services, including contraception, may be integrated within HIV services

Status

New

Recommended in favor

Conditional

Certainty of evidence

Very low

In settings with a high burden of HIV and TB, ART should be initiated for people living with HIV in TB treatment settings, with linkage to ongoing HIV care and ART

Status

New

Recommended in favor

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Very low

In settings with a high burden of HIV and TB, TB treatment may be provided for people living with HIV in HIV care settings where a TB diagnosis has also been made

Status

New

Recommended in favor

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Very low

Diabetes and hypertension care should be integrated with HIV services

Status

New

Recommended in favor

Strong

Mental health care for depression, anxiety and alcohol use disorders should be integrated with HIV services

Status

New

Recommended in favor

Strong