Spread Of HIV In Africa Outpacing Treatment Efforts, Washington Post Reports

Although "billions of dollars are spent" on expanding access to antiretroviral drugs in Africa, the "goal of controlling" the spread of HIV on the continent "remains remote," the Washington Post reports. The "problem is not the medicine, which is among the most powerful in the world," according to the Post. Prevention programs in places like the U.S. and Europe already were successful against smaller-scale HIV/AIDS epidemics when antiretrovirals became available and created a "turning point in the battle against AIDS," the Post reports. However, prevention programs in sub-Saharan Africa "have mostly failed to curb the behavior -- especially the habit of maintaining several sexual partners at a time -- that drives the epidemic," according to the Post.

International health officials and HIV/AIDS advocates "once predicted" that expanding treatment access would improve prevention efforts by promoting openness about the disease and facilitating education efforts, the Post reports. But among the African countries most affected by the disease, only Zimbabwe -- which has one of the region's smallest treatment programs -- has reported a recent decrease in HIV cases.
source:www.medicalnewstoday.com