Expert Review · April 2026

HIV/AIDS Management
Update 2025–2026

อัปเดตแนวทางการจัดการ HIV/AIDS จาก WHO 2025–2026 และ Thailand HIV/AIDS Guidelines 2025 — ART, PrEP, PMTCT, TB Prevention

Sources: WHO January 2026 · WHO IAS 2025 · IAPAC 2026 · Thai AIDS Society 2025 · Thailand MOPH HIV Guidelines 2025

Major Updates at a Glance

DTG
Preferred 1st-line ART
2×/yr
Lenacapavir PrEP dosing
3HP
Preferred TB prevention
Jan 2026
WHO latest update

Global (WHO) vs Thailand Guidelines 2025

🌐 WHO 2025–2026
  • DTG-based preferred 1st-line ART
  • DRV/r preferred protease inhibitor (new 2026)
  • DTG/3TC 2-drug option (selected patients)
  • CAB/RPV long-acting injectable treatment
  • Lenacapavir twice-yearly PrEP (IAS 2025)
  • 3HP preferred TB preventive therapy (new 2026)
  • Updated breastfeeding + PMTCT guidance
  • Integrated diabetes, HT, mental health screening
  • Expanded STI screening (gonorrhea, chlamydia)
🇹🇭 Thailand 2025
  • DTG-based first-line (aligned with WHO)
  • Option B+ for PMTCT (lifetime ART)
  • Daily oral TDF/FTC PrEP program
  • EMCT (Elimination of Mother-to-Child Transmission) goal
  • Universal HIV testing in pregnancy
  • ART for all PLWH (Test & Treat)
  • Key updates aligned with WHO July 2025
  • Full chapter structure: Adults, Pediatrics, PMTCT, OI, Prevention
  • PMTCT chapter updated Jan 2026 to match WHO

WHO 2026 — Antiretroviral Therapy Updates

Parameter Previous (2021) Updated (2026)
Preferred 1st-line DTG-based + EFV-based options CONFIRMED DTG-based preferred
Protease Inhibitor ATV/r หรือ LPV/r NEW DRV/r preferred
NRTI Backbone TDF หรือ ABC แยกตาม history NEW Reuse TDF/ABC allowed
2-Drug Regimen DTG/3TC for selected patients EXPANDED For virally suppressed + HBV-negative
LA Injectable ART CAB/RPV available RECOMMENDED CAB/RPV as switching option
Preferred 1st-line
Dolutegravir (DTG)

Strong evidence: effectiveness, tolerability, high barrier to resistance

Preferred PI
Darunavir/ritonavir

Better outcomes & tolerability vs ATV/r or LPV/r

2-Drug Option
DTG + 3TC

For stable, virally suppressed patients without active HBV

Long-Acting Injectable PrEP — IAS 2025

Game-Changer 2025
Lenacapavir (LEN) — Yeztugo

Gilead Sciences · FDA approved June 2025 · WHO recommended at IAS 2025

Dosing: Twice-yearly injection
Benefit: 2 doses/year vs daily oral pills
Ideal for: Adherence challenges, stigma, limited healthcare access
Already Available
Cabotegravir LA (CAB-LA) — Apretude

ViiV Healthcare · Every 2 months injection

Dosing: q2 months injection
Requirement: HIV testing before each injection
Evidence: Proven efficacy in HPTN 083, 084 trials
⚠️ Implementation Considerations
Rollout Requirements for Long-Acting PrEP
🔬 Community engagement before and during rollout
📚 Provider training on injection technique, monitoring
👁️ Monitoring for: pregnancy, breastfeeding, seroconversion, resistance

Prevention of Vertical HIV Transmission — WHO 2026

① Maternal ART — Foundation
All pregnant/lactating women with HIV → lifelong DTG-based ART → goal: viral suppression
Infant Prophylaxis — Risk Stratification
— Risk-based approach —
Lower Risk
Maternal viral suppression achieved early
NVP prophylaxis × 6 weeks
Higher Risk ⚠️
Late presentation, unsuppressed viral load, breastfeeding
Enhanced triple-drug prophylaxis
ABC + 3TC + DTG
Breastfeeding — WHO 2026 Guidance
— Maternal Choice + Clinical Support —
✅ Breastfeeding Recommended
Exclusive BF 6 months → continue up to 12+ months alongside effective ART + complementary feeding
Option: Replacement Feeding
In settings where safe replacement feeding is feasible → offer choice with clinic/community support
③ Extended Infant Prophylaxis
Continue until maternal viral suppression confirmed OR breastfeeding stopped
🇹🇭 Thailand Approach
Thailand EMCT (Elimination of Mother-to-Child Transmission)
✅ Universal HIV screening ทุกหญิงตั้งครรภ์
✅ Option B+ — lifetime ART for all HIV+ pregnant women
✅ ทารกได้ ARV prophylaxis ภายใน 72 ชม.
✅ Exclusive breastfeeding ตามเกณฑ์

TB Preventive Therapy — WHO 2026

⭐ Preferred 2026
3HP — Rifapentine + Isoniazid
3 months weekly

Improved uptake & completion rate vs longer regimens

Other Options
Alternative Regimens
12HN — Isoniazid 12 months daily
1HR — Rifampicin + Isoniazid 1 month daily
3HR — Rifampicin + Isoniazid 3 months daily
Why This Matters
TB remains leading cause of death among people living with HIV

Shorter regimen → better completion → reduced TB-related mortality in PLWH

WHO 2025 — Comorbidity & Service Integration

Comorbidity WHO 2025 Recommendation Epidemiology
Depression Screen & integrate mental health into HIV services 1 in 3 PLWH globally
Anxiety Integrate anxiety screening into routine visits 1 in 3 PLWH globally
Suicide Ideation Mental health assessment as part of HIV care 1 in 4 PLWH globally
Diabetes Integrate diabetes screening & management 1 in 10 PLWH in Africa
Hypertension Blood pressure monitoring at every visit 1 in 4 PLWH in Africa
Mpox (if diagnosed) Start/improve ART immediately (<7 days, ideally same day) Higher risk of severe mpox in advanced HIV
STIs (Gonorrhea/Chlamydia) Routine screening in high-prevalence settings, MSM, sex workers, pregnant Annual or twice-yearly depending on risk

10 Take-Home Points

1
DTG ยังเป็น gold standard — preferred 1st-line ART ทั้ง initial และ subsequent treatment
2
DRV/r เป็น preferred PI (ใหม่ 2026) — ดีกว่า ATV/r หรือ LPV/r ทั้ง outcomes และ tolerability
3
Lenacapavir (2 เข็ม/ปี) — game-changer สำหรับ PrEP ช่วยเรื่อง adherence และ stigma
4
CAB/RPV long-acting injectable เป็น treatment option สำหรับ virally suppressed patients ที่มีปัญหา adherence
5
DTG/3TC 2-drug regimen — simplification สำหรับ stable patients ที่ไม่มี HBV
6
3HP (isoniazid + rifapentine) เป็น preferred TB preventive therapy — สั้นกว่า ประหยัด คนทำจบมากกว่า
7
Breastfeeding + HIV — WHO 2026 ยังสนับสนุน exclusive BF 6 เดือน + ต่อ 12+ เดือน ภายใต้ effective ART
8
Integrated care — HIV services ควร screen สำหรับ diabetes, hypertension, depression, anxiety
9
STI screening ขยายวงกว้าง — gonorrhea และ chlamydia ใน high-risk groups ทุก 6-12 เดือน
10
Thailand 2025 สอดคล้อง WHO; PMTCT chapter อัปเดต Jan 2026 ตาม WHO; รอปรับ DRV/r และ 3HP

References

  1. [1] WHO. Updated recommendations on HIV clinical management. January 2026. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240119468
  2. [2] WHO. HIV guidelines package — IAS 2025, Kigali, Rwanda. July 2025. B09471-eng.pdf
  3. [3] IAPAC / Dr. José M. Zuniga. Updated WHO HIV Recommendations. January 2026. https://www.iapac.org/2026/01/08/updated-who-hiv-recommendations/
  4. [4] Thai AIDS Society. แนวทางเวชปฏิบัติ HIV/AIDS ประเทศไทย ฉบับล่าสุด 2564/2565. https://www.thaiaidssociety.org/thailand-hiv-aids-guideline/
  5. [5] Thailand MOPH. National HIV/AIDS Guidelines 2025. Chapters 2 (Adults), 4 (PMTCT), 6 (Prevention). Google Drive Folder