title: The global HIV epidemic: current status and challenges.
abstract: Three decades after the first reported cases of AIDS we have within our reach sufficient evidence to substantially alter the HIV epidemic at a country level regardless of mode of transmission of HIV. There are a growing number of countries demonstrating control of the epidemic. Human rights violations and/or legislation relating to sexual orientation, status of minors, injecting drug use and sex work together with stigma and discrimination remain key barriers to knowledge of HIV status and access to appropriate services. The use of anti-retrovirals prophylactically to reduce sexual and vertical transmission and systemically to treat infected infants and adults is central to the optimism in responses to the epidemic. In the current fiscal climate careful thought needs to be given to how to efficiently optimise combinations of what is available to have the biggest impact in the context of limited human and infrastructure resources.
authors.affiliation: Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research, Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa. Abdoolq2@ukzn.ac.za
authors.forename: Quarraisha
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Abdool Karim
mesh_terms: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003140:Communicable Disease Control / Q000458:organization & administration; D003906:Developing Countries / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D058872:Epidemics / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D014943:Global Health; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission*; D045809:Human Rights Abuses; D006801:Humans; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D008430:Maternal-Child Health Centers / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011247:Pregnancy; D060386:Sex Workers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D057545:Social Stigma; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents