HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) infection has now spread to all countries in the world and has infected more than 40 million people worldwide at the end of 2003. More than 1.1 million people in the USA have been infected with HIV. The scourge of HIV has been particularly devastating in Sub-Saharan Africa. The proportion of women among those adults who are infected with HIV is increasing.

HIV is present in the blood and genital secretions of virtually all people infected with HIV, regardless of whether or not they have symptoms. The spread of HIV can occur when these secretions come into contact with tissues such as those lining the vagina, anal region, mouth or eyes , or with a break in the skin, like a break or perforation by a needle.

PARIS: The use of a home-based anti- retroviral treatment could significantly reduce mortality among adults with HIV in poor nations, especially in Africa, according to a study released on Friday. Anti-retroviral treatment (ART) is the most effective clinical intervention for reducing the death rate of people with HIV, but those in developing nations — where 90 per cent of those infected live have limited access to the life- prolonging drugs.

The standard, triple-drug treatment is only available to about 10 per cent of those in need in sub-Saharan Africa, the international health officials said. Barriers to treatment include a lack of funds, the high cost of the medication, a shortage of trained health care providers, and long distances between clinics and patients.