GlobalPost Reports on HIV/AIDS in Latin America

In its continuing series titled "The State of AIDS," GlobalPost examines the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Latin America and the Caribbean, where "[m]ajor gains have been made in the fight against the spread of HIV" over the past decade, particularly in stopping mother-to-child transmission (MTCT). However, some countries in the region have some of the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rates outside of sub-Saharan Africa; "the disease continues to spread among certain at-risk populations," such as men who have sex with men; and "nearly one-third of those infected in Latin America are still not getting treated," the news service reports.

In Latin America "stabilization of the epidemic is not a success," Cesar Nunez, regional director of UNAIDS, said in an interview with GlobalPost, adding, "It reflects slow and fragile progress with modest gains," according to the news service. Nunez said if gains in stopping MTCT "can be scaled up quickly and effectively throughout the region, Latin America could become one of the first regions in the world to achieve the vision of zero babies born with HIV," the news service notes (Miroff, 12/5). GlobalPost also features an infographic on the global state of the epidemic (Kim, 12/6).