AIDS IN THE DEVELOPING-WORLD - AN EPIDEMIOLOGIC OVERVIEW

The pandemic of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is rapidl y becoming a tropical disease. Sub-Saharan Africa alone currently acco unts for approximately 60% of the estimated > 11 million infections wo rldwide. In Africa the virus is transmitted heterosexually and in many areas is now widely dispersed in the general population. Spread of HI V in Asia has been more recent, with current estimates of 2 million in fections, but has been very rapid in South and Southeast Asia. In Thai land extensive transmission of the virus has occurred over the last 5 years. Initially, infections were seen in users of intravenous drugs a nd in commercial sex workers; now, however, HIV has spread to the gene ral population. Recent, although incomplete, data from India suggest a n epidemic curve reminiscent of the early epidemic in Africa and Thail and. With this rapid spread of the infection, there may be as many as 26 million infections-most in developing countries-by the year 2000.