AIDS and HIV infection: estimates of the magnitude of the problem worldwide in 1985/1986.
This review summarizes observations about the distribution of AIDS and HIV infection throughout the world. The United States has reported the greatest number of cases to the World Health Organization (WHO), but data from many areas are lacking or incomplete, making comparisons between different areas unreliable. Even within the United States, data are difficult to interpret and require careful consideration of the size of the various HIV-risk groups in the population and the degree to which results of studies of selected cohorts within a risk group can be extrapolated to the whole of that population. Outside of the United States, Europe, and Australia, less information is available. Almost every country in South America has reported cases of AIDS, although in most reports the number is small. In Asia, many countries have not yet reported cases or have had only a small number of cases. By the end of 1986, many countries in Africa had not yet reported any AIDS cases to the WHO, even from areas where AIDS is known to occur (i.e., Zaire). However, there is ample evidence from regional studies in Africa that AIDS and HIV infection are a major public health problem. Using admittedly questionable information for estimating the size of the problem worldwide, I project that between two and three million persons worldwide were infected with HIV by 1985/1986. Despite the lack of an effective therapy or vaccine, much can be and is being done to limit the global spread of HIV infection and AIDS.
Biggar
R J
RJ
Environmental Epidemiology Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland 20892.
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000349:Africa; D001208:Asia; D001315:Australia; D005060:Europe; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D009656:North America; D013020:South America; D014900:West Indies