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Science Friday > Archives > 2000 > July > July 14, 2000: Hour One: International AIDS Conference
Much of the picture those researchers painted was grim. Nearly one-third of the children under 15 years of age in countries like South Africa will not make it to adulthood as a result of AIDS, according to a report released at the meeting by the US Agency for International Development. Lack of access to basic health care and medicines, combined with a lack of public awareness of ways to reduce the risk of spreading HIV, the virus that most scientists feel is the cause of AIDS, are key factors in the spread of the epidemic. Yet the news at the meeting was not all bad. Scientists presented research showing that anti-HIV treatment programs can be effective in developing countries, even considering the lack of access to health care. Others reported findings relating to new therapeutic regimens that might offer treatment with lower levels of medication, or with less expensive medications. And a group of African scientists announced that they were forming a consortium to try to ensure that any vaccines being developed benefit the African population. On this hour of Science Friday, we'll get a wrap-up of the 13th AIDS Conference, and talk about the difficulties doctors face when dealing with an epidemic in the developing world.
Guests: Bernhard Schwartlander David Holtgrave Margaret Chesney Luc Barriere Books/Articles Discussed: Related Links:
Produced By: Karin Vergoth |
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