Population, Development and HIV/AIDS with particular emphasis on poverty: The concise report

The present report has been prepared in accordance with decision 2004/1 of the Commission on Population and Development, in which the Commission reaffirmed that the special theme for its thirty-eighth session should be "Population, development and HIV/AIDS, with particular emphasis on poverty". The AIDS pandemic has gained momentum during the pas quarter-century, expanding to all regions of the world. AIDS affects both the rich and the poor, but the hardest-hit countries are among the poorest in the world. Unless more vigorous actions are undertaken to combat the disease and its effects, the HIV/AIDS epidemic portends a grim future for many countries, especially the poorest countries. The report concludes that the most effective approach to thwarting the HIV/AIDS epidemic is to implement a combination of strategies that reduce risks, diminish vulnerability and mitigate impact.