Introduction - Historical Notes

The AIDS Pandemic - AIDS World-wide II

In the meantime, AIDS has become a pandemic, i.e. it has spread all over the world. It has also long ceased to be a “gay disease”. World-wide, most new infections now result from heterosexual contact. There are medical treatments today that can help AIDS patients to survive much longer than before, but there is still no cure and no effective vaccine. Prevention remains the most urgent and most promising strategy. Unfortunately, for years the governments of many developing countries paid no attention to the warnings of health experts. Thus, they failed to profit from the hard-learned lessons of others and lost precious time in starting appropriate prevention programs. For this massive political failure the populations in these countries are now paying a heavy price. Even in the US and Europe, there has been some occasional backsliding as prevention efforts have weakened or become subject to political interference. 
In the meantime, research continues, trying to find a cure or a vaccine. Until this work succeeds, prevention offers the best hope. The blood supply must be made safe by prior testing. The general population must continuously be educated about the risks of infection and how to avoid them by practicing “safer sex”. Special prevention efforts must be directed at intravenous drug users and those with risky sexual behaviors. Their cooperation must be sought and appreciated. In many countries the treatment and care of AIDS patients can and must be improved.

A Global View of HIV Infection
40 million adults living with HIV/AIDS as of end 2001
(Regions with rates under 0.5 percent are colored light blue)

Source: UNAIDS/WHO