There were no antivirals there. People could not afford them, and government would not or could not provide them. His efforts were all directed at prevention of infection and basic care for those with disease. He said he believed that the only scientific breakthrough that would be of any practical use in his country would be a vaccine. Clearly, the strongest predictor of HIV infection worldwide is poverty.-Thomas Coates, University of California Center for AIDS Prevention Studies.
Prevention is more difficult than therapeutic research.
Specific preventive efforts among Thai soldiers have brought a dramatic decrease in new HIV infections. Needle exchange programs studies in Vancouver, the US, the Netherlands and other countries show that they effectively reduce HIV transmission without increasing drug use. There were plenty of reports, however, of an epidemic still wildly out of control. The most significant conclusion of this study is that HIV is moving with great rapidity through the population at large. Thank you for providing my accommodation while in Vancouver-which costs the equivalent of three years of rent for me.