AIDS in Latin America

The HIV-AIDS epidemic in Latin America has produced an unexpected additiona l burden to health care systems and national economies already weak and aff ected by severe problems. Specific regional diseases, such as Chagas' disea se, leishmaniasis, and histoplasmosis, in addition to common opportunistic infections, and particularly the high incidence of tuberculosis, produce a slightly different epidemiologic picture compared with the United States an d Europe. Access to antiretrovirals is not universal in Latin America. Neve rtheless, some countries are providing highly active antiretroviral therapy to all eligible patients, showing that it is not impossible to improve the quality of care for people living with AIDS in the region. Drug interactio ns between antiretrovirals and specific treatments for regional diseases ge nerate additional concerns for the already complex picture of the HIV-AIDS epidemic in the region.