Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 April 2021
The acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and the entire spectrum of disease associated with infection by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are the subject of intense international interest and concern. From the viewpoint of the World Health Organization (WHO), HIV is not simply one of a series of newly recognized diseases emerging during the past decade but is a problem with several biological and epidemiological features that justify a unique sense of urgency among public health officials, political leaders, and the general public.
This article describes the evolution of a global perspective and response to HIV, reviews the current international epidemiological situation, explores the principal elements, both conceptual and operational, of WHO's global strategy for HIV control, and discusses the major approaches to HIV prevention in the current global context.