Abstract

PIP: AIDS is a growing public health problem in the Americas. 59,723 cases had been reported as of December 1992 in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC); the more than 1 million people already HIV-infected should double by 1995. The first HIV-related research project in the region was initiated in 1983. This paper summarizes the major features of almost all such projects started in LAC countries until 1991. 652 research projects were conducted, but 68 were ineligible and 23 are considered parts of broader research undertakings already reported in the inventory. Of the remaining 561 projects, 73.6% were initiated in 1989 or thereafter. 49.6% were in Mexico and Brazil, 20% in the Caribbean, 11.2% in the Andean subregion, 10.5% in the Southern Cone, and 8.9% in Central America. 90.5% of the principal investigators were natives of the countries of study. 37.9% of the projects were conducted by researchers in academic institutions, 32.4% under the auspices of governmental public health organizations, 20% in clinical health care settings with no academic affiliation, and 10% by nongovernmental organizations. 38.5% were epidemiological, 30.1% social, behavioral, or interventional, 23.5% clinical, 4.5% on diagnostic procedures, and 3.4% basic science projects. 60% were cross-sectional in design, 19% longitudinal, 4.3% retrospective, and almost 10% were case reviews or analyses of registries and other secondary data sources. 49.4% were based on convenience samples. 30% had sample sizes smaller than 100, 29% had sample sizes between 100 and 400, and 24% had sample sizes of more than 1000 subjects. Brazil, Mexico, and the Caribbean account for almost 90% of the funds spent, while 65.2% reported external funding only or a combination of external and internal funding. External project funding totalled $US 26,914,814. Overall, studies of seroprevalence and knowledge, attitude, and practice were well-represented. The efficacy of behavioral and clinical interventions as well as the natural history of the disease should, however, be investigated more frequently. Moreover, the $US 30 million of external funding spent on these projects is quite small compared to HIV research expenditures in more developed countries. Project funding needs to be continued and increased.