Public health. Reassessing HIV prevention

Abstract

The largest investments in AIDS prevention targeted to the general population are being made in interventions where the evidence for large-scale impact is uncertain.

Fig. 1

UNAIDS resource allocation estimates to achieve “universal access” to HIV prevention by 2010 (in millions of U.S. dollars). Although interventions for high-risk populations are crucial, resource allocation recommended by UNAIDS is too small for those approaches likely to have a major impact on generalized heterosexual epidemics. (And much of the funding for categories such as “high-risk populations” would actually go for interventions like condom promotion.)