Conquering AIDS

Attendees at an international AIDS conference in Washington, D.C., this summer celebrated three global statistics: Since 2002 the AIDS-related death toll has fallen by 10 percent, new HIV infections are down 13 percent and more than 8 million people in low- and middle-income countries are receiving HIV drug therapy — a 20-fold jump since 2003. Conferees also heard a striking message: Recent breakthroughs in prevention provide an unprecedented opportunity to halt the deadly pandemic in its tracks. According to scientists, early treatment of HIV-infected patients can virtually eliminate the risk of transmitting the virus to sexual partners, and treating HIV-negative people at high risk of contracting the virus reduces infection rates. But adopting those two strategies globally would be hugely expensive, and nearly 8 million HIV-positive patients eligible for drug therapy now aren't getting it due to lack of funding. Some physicians, policy makers and AIDS activists also question giving symptom-free and virus-free people drugs with potentially toxic side effects.