Commentary: Operational Guidance in the 2013 WHO consolidated antiretroviral guidelines.

The new guidelines promote initiating ARVs with a CD4þ T-cell threshold of 500 cells/ml or less for adults, adolescents, and older children [1]. These guidelines further recommend ARVs, regardless of CD4þ T-cell count, for patients with active tuberculosis (TB), pregnant and breastfeeding women, and children younger than 5 years of age [1]. This is a call for action to countries to further scale up provision of ARVs in addition to improving patient retention along the continuum of care.