Page 7 - AIDSBK23C

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income for half of all such patients.[10] Though the pharmacologic therapies exist for
prolonging the lives of persons infected with HIV, such therapies are expensive and out-of-reach
for many persons worldwide. The years of useful life lost by the predominantly younger
population infected by HIV has a serious economic impact.[11] In the era of antiretroviral
therapy in the U.S. the average life expectancy for persons diagnosed with HIV infection
increased from 10.5 years in 1996 to 22.5 years in 2005.[12]
According to the United Nations Development Program, when the prevalence of AIDS
reaches 1% of the adult population, the epidemic will become difficult to constrain or reverse
unless drastic and effective measures are taken.[13] In Eastern Europe, Asia, and Africa
governmental responses to the spread of HIV have often been delayed and haphazard. One
notable exception has been Thailand, which mounted a countrywide campaign to educate and
screen its population. When less than 5% of adult men visit commercial sex workers, or barrier
precaution use is high, and rates of injection drug use remain low, then the spread of HIV
remains low.[14]
Targeting high risk groups with educational campaigns, increasing condom use, and
needle-exchange programs for injection drug users have shown success in reducing or stabilizing
rates of HIV infection. Treatment programs for those with AIDS are expensive and difficult to
administer. Brazil has had success in reducing health care costs of HIV infection with use of
more widely available antiretroviral drugs. Some pharmaceutical manufacturers have agreed to
subsidize the costs, or allowed generic production of antiretroviral agents, lessening therapy to
about 1$ U.S. per day, but the numbers of infected persons make treatment an expensive option
for many countries. Lack of resources for health care has limited budgets to deal with HIV when
other health problems loomed large.[9,15]
Considerable effort has been placed into education of persons potentially at risk for
acquiring HIV.[16] A proper understanding of AIDS issues, including the nature of HIV and its
means of spread, should precede decisions regarding allocation of health care resources and
control measures.[17] Prevention strategies for HIV will require ongoing education, despite a
general public perception, particularly among young persons, that AIDS is a peripheral threat
that does not call for changes in lifestyle. The battle against AIDS will require political alliances
that allow prevention strategies to be implemented across national borders. The reservoir of
infected persons is so large, global human interaction so broad, and costs of AIDS so high that
everyone on earth is affected in some way by the AIDS pandemic.[18,19] Prevention strategies
can include the following:[20]

• Make HIV testing a routine part of medical care.
• Implement new models for diagnosing HIV infections outside medical settings.
• Prevent new infections by working with persons diagnosed with HIV and their
partners.
• Further decrease perinatal HIV transmission.