Correspondence

AIDS — Past and Future

N Engl J Med 2002; 346:710-711February 28, 2002

Article

To the Editor:

Reviews of the accomplishments in the fight against the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) such as those in the June 7 issue1-3 cannot help but sound self-congratulatory when there are more than 30 million people with untreated AIDS — a total equivalent to the combined populations of Australia, Sweden, and Denmark. Memories of the patients with AIDS we have seen but cannot treat in Thailand are indelibly imprinted, like the images of Dr. Gottlieb's patients.2 We, too, are astounded by their courage. However, unlike the patients that Dr. Gottlieb cared for 20 years ago, ours are not brave because they realize how little we know about what is wrong with them. They are courageous because they realize that we know a great deal about what is wrong with them and how to treat their disease but cannot do so. Soon the number of untreated victims of AIDS who have died since effective drugs became available will exceed the 25 million people who died from the Black Death in Europe more than 600 years ago.1

“Living with AIDS” is the politically correct euphemism. Dying with potentially manageable HIV infection is the horrible reality. Can there be a more shameful medical emergency than 30 million patients' urgently requiring life-prolonging therapy and not getting it? Not only should existing antiretroviral drugs be provided,4 but massive efforts to explore all other potential therapeutic options should begin immediately.

George Watt, M.D.
Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Science, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
wattgh@thai.amedd.army.mil

Thierry Burnouf, Ph.D.
Human Plasma Product Services, 59800 Lille, France

4 References

1. 1

   Steinbrook R, Drazen JM. AIDS -- will the next 20 years be different? N Engl J Med 2001;344:1781-1782
   Full Text | Web of Science | Medline

2. 2

   Gottlieb MS. AIDS -- past and future. N Engl J Med 2001;344:1788-1791
   Full Text | Web of Science | Medline

3. 3

   Sepkowitz KA. AIDS -- the first 20 years. N Engl J Med 2001;344:1764-1772
   Full Text | Web of Science | Medline

4. 4

   Chirac P, von Schoen-Angerer T, Kasper T, Ford N. AIDS: patent rights versus patient's rights. Lancet 2000;356:502-502
   CrossRef | Web of Science | Medline

Citing Articles (1)

Citing Articles

1. 1

   Shiing-Jer Twu, Yen-Fang Huang, An-Chi Lai, Nai Ming, Ih-Jen Su. (2004) Update and Projection on HIV/AIDS in Taiwan. AIDS Education and Prevention 16:supplement_a, 53-63
   CrossRef