[Prevention and control of HIV infection / AIDS in the Americas]

The implementation of AIDS programs in the Americas has been facilitated by multidisciplinary teams of experts and culminated in the development of medium-term plans for Argentina Brazil Chile Paraguay and Uruguay. In 1991 a total of 244 weeks of technical cooperation were directed at the PAHO member countries. In Brazil a study was concluded about the heterosexual transmission of HIV from men to women the preliminary results of which were presented at the 1991 International Conference on AIDS. Also in 1991 collaboration was started between the regional program and the World Health Organization (WHO) with investigation of vaccines in Haiti Brazil and Mexico as well as intervention activities in St. Martin in the frontier between Mexico and the US in Brazil and in Mexico. An inventory of studies about AIDS assisted by the WHO identified more than 600 scientific studies and projects in Latin America and the Caribbean. The challenges and opportunities for implementing the world strategy for prevention of AIDS in the Americas comprises national programs for AIDS control the link with other programs (maternal-child health family planning sexually transmitted diseases control) and the introduction of multidisciplinary teams for interprogram information dissemination. Main activities center on modification of sexual behavior and the promotion of the condom. The present and future priorities or the prevention of AIDS in this region concern the reduction of personal consequences from HIV infection and mobilization of forces against AIDS. The importance of the priorities of the global program for the members of PAHO was stressed at PAHOs meeting in September 1991 and in the goals set for 1992-93. Some of the examples of selected activities of AIDS prevention at the country level had to do with prevention of transmission in Suriname Guyana El Salvador and Guatemala; prevention of transmission by blood in Costa Rica; and reduction of socioeconomic consequences of AIDS in the region.