AIDS: Taking a long term view by the aids 2031 Consortium
AIDS is a continuing worldwide health crisis. Over 25 million people have died from AIDS and more than 33 million are infected today. While treatments in the developed world have moved AIDS from a fatal to a chronic, highly expensive disease, it remains the sixth greatest cause of death globally and most of those infected in the developing world do not have access to treatments. Here, the AIDS 2031 Commission’s experts report on the first 50 years of the AIDS pandemic: the 30 years that have passed since AIDS was first diagnosed, and the prospects and best plans to address the ongoing world wide AIDS epidemic over the coming 20 years. The following factors of the pandemic are addressed: basic science, public health, funding, treatment options, and social and societal impacts and the range of possible and recommended responses over the next two decades is reviewed. The progress that has been made, and both persistent and emerging challenges are also critically assessed.