Estimated worldwide HIV infections: 57 670 181 at noon on June 9 2004.
Availability of HIV treatment could shift attitudes about the threat of HIV/Aids in the developing world, potentially resulting in increased risk behaviour and the continued global expansion of the Aids pandemic.
This was is according to a report released this week by the Global HIV-Prevention Working Group calling for a comprehensive response to the pandemic by integrating HIV-prevention interventions into treatment programmes.
The group of 50 Aids experts, convened by the Bill and Melinda Gates and Kaiser foundations, recommends that HIV-prevention strategies and messages be adapted to stress the importance of continued risk reduction.
The report cites countries where treatment access, expanded without focusing on prevention strategies, leads to increased new infections and risk behaviour.
Its specific recommendations include: promoting HIV testing (only 10 % of HIV-positive people in developing countries are aware of their infection); increasing access to proven HIV-prevention interventions; and developing sustainable strategies for HIV-positive people.
The group also joined UNAids in stressing the need for a major increase globally in funding treatment, prevention, and research programmes.
Source: www.kff.org