A global burden - 4 Aug 2008

Mexico City is host this week to the 17th International AIDS Conference and also saw the release of the latest figures on HIV and AIDS around the world from UNAIDS.

There has been a small, very small, decline in the numbers of people infected - from 33,2 million to 33 million - a drop in the ocean in terms of human suffering. Sub-Saharan Africa still bears the brunt of the epidemic, and, interestingly, Germany and Britain are seeing a resurgence in new HIV infections - as are India and China.

The UNAIDS report cited in this Monday's newsletter speaks of the efficacy of treatment and prevention programmes in reducing new infections and in prolonging the lives of those already infected. But this is the 17th International AIDS Conference - we are a couple of decades into the pandemic and we are still only touching its surface.

Research on vaccines is stalled, new drug treatments are only going to be available in high-income countries and fear and ignorance continue to fuel the stigma surrounding the disease.

But there is hope. Treatment programmes are reaching more and more people and prevention does seem to be starting to have an effect. Maybe by the next international conference there will be more good news than bad.