AIDS throughout the world and possibilities of preventing the spread of HIV infection
Litvinjenko, S.; Pocek, B.
Vojnosanitetski Pregled 50(3): 291-296
1993
ISSN/ISBN: 0042-8450 PMID: 8212657 Document Number: 333926
At the end of 1992, according the World Health Organization, 611,589 AIDS cases had been reported, but the actual number of cases reached about two million. The actual number of HIV-infected people in the world, according to WHO, in 1992 ranged between 10 and 12 million. It is estimated that by the year 2000 there will be 30-40 million infected people and about 12-18 million AIDS cases. In the 1980's the increase was especially great in Sub-Saharan Africa, with about 6 million infected cases of whom 1/3 were pregnant women in big city maternity wards. In recent years the steep increase of cases in Africa led to its appellation as the AIDS continent. The percentage of infected people is put at 15-20% and it is steadily increasing. On the American continents by the end of 1992, a total of 313,083 cases were reported, of which 242,000 were in the US (970 per 1 million inhabitants). In Brazil there were 31,000, in Mexico 11,000, and in Canada 7000 cases. The highest figure was in the Bahamas: 4087 per 1 million inhabitants. In Asia only 2582 AIDS cases were reported at the end of 1992, because HIV still had not exploded on this continent. The latest data indicated an increase of the infection in Asia among IV drug users and prostitutes, so that seropositive persons were estimated at half a million. The highest number of clinical cases were in Thailand (909), Japan (508), and in Israel (192). In Europe there were 88,810 cases reported, of which 21,487 were in France. At the end of 1992 in Yugoslavia 268 cases were registered (25 per 1 million inhabitants). In Serbia there were 262 cases (in Belgrade 75% of them) and in Montenegro 3 cases. It is worrisome that about 2000 HIV-positive persons have been detected since 1985. AZT (azidothymidine, zidovudin) and ddI (dideoxyinosine) are the main drugs for treatment. Since an effective vaccine is still unavailable, the only means of halting the spread of HIV infection is warning and education, beginning with prepubescents, about first intercourse and IV drug use.