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The status of  HIV/AIDS patients under treatment should be monitored regularly to check whether a patient needs a particular type of treatment , and also if the treatment is effective. The equipment should also monitor whether the patient has developed a drug resistant strain of the virus to prevent it from being passed on

The main method of checking the status of  the patient is by using equipment that monitors the CD4 cell count in the blood cells. If the HIV/AIDS treatment is effective, the patient's CD4 count increases and immunity to ailments improves.

The equipment used to monitor CD4 cell counts is expensive, and can cost up to $100,000. In India, this equipment is manufactured by Becton Dickinson India Pvt. Ltd. . Maintenance of  the equipment is often a problem as the equipment requires servicing often. However, due to subsidies from Non profit organizations, the cost of testing has reduced considerably in the last decade to Rs 250 per test.