HIV/AIDS in Latin America

摘要

Sixteen international aids conferences were held before the hiv/aids community looked to Latin America and the Caribbean. Finally, next month, the world will pay long-overdue attention to this region when the ⅩⅦ International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008) is held in Mexico City. Given that so many in Latin America and the Caribbean have died from HIV/AIDS and have fought this disease with the same enthusiasm and passion as in any part of Africa and Asia, there seems no justification for this lack of attention. Although no country in Latin America and the Caribbean has the double-digit HIV prevalence seen in sub-Saharan Africa, there are an estimated 2 million people living with HIV/AIDS in the region, with about 120,000 new cases and 70,000 deaths in 2007. The cumulative estimate for 2015 is nearly 3.5 million HIV/AIDS cases and 1.5 million deaths from the disease. There are issues in Latin America and the Caribbean that make epidemic conditions unique to the region. Many people still do not understand that HIV/AIDS is a viral, not a moral, infection. Widespread stigma and discrimination hamper efforts to achieve universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, and care. HIV transmission continues to occur among populations at higher risk, including sex workers, males that have sex with males (but increasing among heterosexuals), injecting drug users, and migrants. Prevention efforts, including education campaigns, are disorganized and poorly supported because budgets are mainly devoted to treatment.