Report on the Global HIV/AIDS

In 2001, the world marked 20 years of AIDS. It was an occasion to lament the fact that the epidemic has turned out to be far worse than predicted, saying "if only we knew then what we know now". But we do know now. We know the epidemic is still in its early stages, that effective responses are possible but only when they are politically backed and full-scale, and that unless more is done today and tomorrow, the epidemic will continue to grow. This report presents the considered views on the state of the HIV/AIDS epidemic of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), which is comprised of eight United Nations system agencies. It also presents evidence of the responses to the epidemic :mounted by many parateners, including governments, the business sector and civil society. The report provides positive proof that HIV, if left to run its natural course, will cause devastation on an unprecedented scale. One by one, dangerous myths of complacency are being shattered. In southern Africa, HIV prevalence has not yet stabilized at some natural limit. HIV rates are still on the rise, with HIV infections occurring among more than 40% of all pregnant women, in some locations. In West Africa, apparent stability at lower levels has also turned out to be an illusion, with the epidemic now taking off again. This report refutes the comfortable assumption that parts of Asia were somehow immune to HIV. Indonesia, for example, having seen almost no HIV until now, despite predictable risk factors, finds itself with a growing epidemic. In Eastern Europe and Central he assumption that the epidemic would remain confined to marginalized groups, such as infecting drug users, is turning out to e the worst sort of wishful thinking. An explosive rate of growth is having its inevitable consequence of population-wide spread. And, in high-income countries, where reduced AIDS mortality has made headlines in recent years, increases in unsafe sex and in HIV infections have crept up almost unnoticed. While inaction has proved to be a deadly mistake, the evidence has never been stronger that action against AIDS gets positive results. This report has many examples of success--communities organizing themselves, school and workplace HIV/AIDS programmes, lout-standing national leadership, and new tools (from human rights instruments to antiretroviral treatments) being deployed against the epidemic.