Updates on the prevention and treatment of AIDS

June 5, 2011, marked the 30th year since the first cases of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) were reported. From just five cases in the initial publication, AIDS has grown into a global pandemic that has resulted in the deaths of more than 33 million people around the world. There have been many successful stories of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) treatment and prevention during the past 3 decades of the AIDS epidemic. Among them, HIV chemotherapy has been a major medical accomplishment and has dramatically reduced the morbidity and mortality of those with access to care. The combination of prevention and treatment has substantially decreased the spread of the disease and dramatically increased life expectancy among treated patients. Ongoing studies on curing HIV infections are providing us with hopeful perspectives for eradicating this huge epidemic. We must attain the sustainability of economic resources in order to ensure the continuation of the advances that have been achieved and provide new perspectives on future challenges.