AIDS as a World Health Problem

Alexander C Aichelburg, National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research/University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
Sarah L Pett, National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research/University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
David A Cooper, National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research/University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia

Published online: January 2003

DOI: 10.1038/npg.els.0002238

In the almost 20 years since acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) was first recognized as a disease entity, infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the subsequent development of AIDS has erupted into a global epidemic of Biblical proportions.

Keywords: HIV/AIDS-pandemic; epidemiology; socioeconomic and demographic impact

Figure 1. Numbers of persons living with HIV/AIDS as at end of 1999 (a) and newly infected during 1999 (b). (Source: Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)/World Health Organization.)
Figure 2. Cumulative HIV/AIDS deaths since the beginning of the epidemic to end of 1999 (a) and in 1999 alone (b). (Source: Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)/World Health Organization.)
Figure 3. Projected population structure with and without the AIDS epidemic, Botswana, 2020. (Source: US Census Bureau, World Population Profile 2000.)
close
 References
    Carr A and Cooper DA (2000) Adverse effects of antiretroviral therapy. Lancet 356: 1423–1430.
    Grulich A (2000) HIV risk in gay men: on the rise? British Medical Journal 320: 1487–1488.
    Hanenberg RS, Rojanapithayakorn W, Kunasol P and Sokal DC (1994) Impact of Thailand's HIV-control programme as indicated by the decline of sexually transmitted diseases. Lancet 344: 243–245.
    book Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)/World Health Organization (WHO) (1999) AIDS epidemic update: December 1999. Geneva: UNAIDS/WHO.
    book Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)/World Health Organization (WHO) (2000) Report on the Global HIV/AIDS Epidemic: June 2000. Geneva: UNAIDS/WHO.
    Kaul R, Makadzange T and Rowland-Jones S (2000) AIDS in Africa: a disaster no longer waiting to happen. Nature Immunology 1: 267–270.
    Patella FJ Jr., Delaney KM, Moorman AC et al. (1998) Declining morbidity and mortality among patients with advanced Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection. New England Journal of Medicine 338: 853–860.
    Quinn TC (1996) Global burden of the HIV pandemic. Lancet 348: 99–106.
    Quinn TC, Wawer MJ, Sewankambo N et al. for the Rakei Project Study Group (2000) Viral load and heterosexual transmission of human immunodeficiency virus type 1. New England Journal of Medicine 324: 921–929.
    Van de Ven P, Prestage G, Crawford J, Grulich A and Kippax S (2000) Sexual risk behaviour increases and is associated with HIV optimism among HIV-negative and HIV-positive gay men in Sydney over the four-year period to February 2000. AIDS 14: 2951–2953.
 Further Reading
    book Jones JL, DeCock KM and Jaffe HW (1999) "Current trends in the epidemiology of HIV/AIDS". In: Sande MA and Volberding PA (eds) The Medical Management of AIDS, 6th edn, pp. 3–22. Philadelphia: WB Saunders.
    book Kaldor JM (ed.) (1998) AIDS in Asia and the Pacific, 2nd edn. London: Rapid Science Publishers.
    book Laga M and Schwartlaender B (1999) "Epidemiology of AIDS in the developing world". In: Merigan TC, Bartlett JG and Bolognesi D (eds) Textbook of AIDS Medicine, 2nd edn, pp. 111–121. Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins.
    book Mertens T and Piot P (1997) "Global aspects of human immunodeficiency virus epidemiology: general considerations". In: De Vita VT, Hellmann S, Rosenberg SA, Curran J, Essex M and Fauci AS (eds) AIDS Etiology, Diagnosis, Treatment and Prevention, 4th edn, pp. 103–126. Philadelphia: Lippincott-Raven.
    book Piot P and Merson MH (2000) "Global perspectives on human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome". In: Mandell GL, Bennett JE and Dolin R (eds) Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases, 5th edn, pp. 1332–1340. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.
    book Schoofs M (2000) "AIDS: The Agony of Africa". Series of articles published in The Village Voice. New York: Village Voice Media, Inc.
    book Tarantola D and Mann J (1996) "Global overview: a powerful HIV/AIDS pandemic". In: Mann J and Tarantola D (eds) AIDS in the World II, 2nd edn, pp. 5–40. New York: Oxford University Press.
    book Tarantola D and Schwartlaender B (1997) "HIV/AIDS epidemics in sub-Saharan Africa: dynamism, diversity and discrete declines?" In: Laga M, De Cock K and Kaleeba N (eds) AIDS in Africa, 2nd edn, pp. 5–21. London: Rapid Science Publishers.
    book Whitesite A and Stover J (1997) "The demographic and economic impact of AIDS in Africa". In: Laga M, De Cock K and Kaleeba N (eds) AIDS in Africa, 2nd edn, pp. 55–61. London: Rapid Science Publishers.

Related Sub-Topics:

Virus Diseases | Viruses Infecting Humans | Health Care
Contact Editor close
Submit a note to the editor about this article by filling in the form below.

* Required Field

Article Title: AIDS as a World Health Problem
 
How to Cite close
Aichelburg, Alexander C, Pett, Sarah L, and Cooper, David A(Jan 2003) AIDS as a World Health Problem. In: eLS. John Wiley & Sons Ltd, Chichester. http://www.els.net [doi: 10.1038/npg.els.0002238]