More than 3 million people were receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) at the end of 2007, but this number represents only 31% of people clinically eligible for ART in resource-limited settings. The primary objective of this study is to summarize the key obstacles that impede the goal of universal access prevention, care, and treatment. We performed a systematic literature search to review studies that reported barriers to diagnosis and access to treatment of HIV/AIDS in resource-limited countries. Persons living with HIV/ AIDS commonly face economic, sociocultural, and behavioral obstacles to access treatment and care for HIV. A variety of programs to overcome these barriers have been implemented, including efforts to destigmatize HIV/AIDS, enhance treatment literacy, provide income-generation skills, decentralize HIV services, promote gender equality, and adopt a multisectoral approach to optimize limited resources. An understanding of these obstacles and suggested methods to overcome them must be addressed by global policy makers before universal ART access can be achieved.
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