The national response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Peru: accomplishments and gaps--a review

Abstract

In Peru, after the first case of AIDS was reported in 1983, nearly 20,000 AIDS cases have been notified to date and between 20,000 and 79,000 persons are estimated to be living with HIV. Despite a relatively low HIV prevalence in the general population, the epidemic has importantly mobilized social actors and economic resources and has helped articulate a very active field within the Peruvian health sector. In recent years, the country has become the largest recipient of HIV funding from the Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria in Latin America, for which a substantial national counterpart has been committed. Peru's predictable selection as one of the 12 focal countries for the 5-year impact evaluation of the Global Fund suggested that an analysis of the response to the HIV epidemic in Peru may provide significant lessons on the possibilities of international aid in the AIDS field, particularly in the Latin American context. This article presents an analysis of the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the nature of the response articulated by the State and civil society in Peru, based on the Universal Access Principles proposed by World Health Organization, UNAIDS, and others. Relying on a number of recent secondary sources, we focus not only on the impact of the epidemic on morbidity and death but also on the changes in society as a whole, particularly in social movements and their dynamic relationship with the State. We start with an epidemiological overview and move to describe the role of social actors in response to the epidemic and then propose a framework for the analysis of the scope and limitations of the national response and elaborate on potential courses of action that may lead to strengthen accomplishments and resolve remaining gaps.