Treatment of HIV infection - the road travelled and the journey ahead

According to a recent UNAIDS report on the global HIV/AIDS epidemic, the number of people newly infected with HIV in 1999 is estimated at 5.4 million, bringing the total number of people with HIV infection to 34.3 million. In addition, an estimated 2.8 million people died as a result of AIDS in 1999. It is anticipated that HIV will radically change the population structures in countries which are badly affected by AIDS, necessitating substantial alterations in the organisation of these societies and how they earn a living and care for needy members of society. With HIV having such a massive global impact, it is not surprising that this field attracts a lot of interest in the scientific community. At a symposium at the joint 7th World Conference on Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics and 4th Congress of the European Association for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics [Florence, Italy; July 2000], the past progress and future prospects for the treatment of HIV infection were discussed.